


Hear No Evil

by unbidstatue



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2019-11-12 02:24:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 25,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18002012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unbidstatue/pseuds/unbidstatue
Summary: On the 12th hour of the first day of October 1989, 43 women around the world gave birth. This was unusual only in the fact that none of these women had been pregnant when the day first began. Sir Reginald Hargreeves, eccentric billionaire and adventurer, resolved to locate and adopt as many of the children as possible.Olivia King was not one of them.Born with the extraordinary gift to read minds, Olivia had no knowledge that she was one of the most gifted children in the world. Until, at the age of 29, she moved to a place where gifted children were once celebrated.





	1. Prologue

_He looked down at his sister, a quiet rage still brewing in the back of his mind. It was becoming more and more difficult to keep his countenance soft. The last thing he needed was to show any emotion contrary to acceptance. What she had done was unspeakable. An act of utter betrayal, and not the first._

_Yet there was still a voice nagging at him. One that reminded him, persistently, that this was his sister. They had grown up together, raised by the same cold, unforgiving man. The man who had had a constant air of superiority around him, which had led to more problems than solutions. Even he, who had so unfailingly followed his father's every wish, had to admit that._

_"I didn't mean to hurt her," she said , her voice trembling. "Please you have to believe me."_

_He hesitated for a moment that bordered on an eternity. So many secrets had come to light in just a few short days. Secrets which should bring them all together, not drive a wedge even further. Their father had put them through their paces, even after his death. And worse for Vanya, none of them had clued her in on any of it. And had he himself not been so heavily impacted by these secrets? Been exiled by his father in some screwed-up semblance of love? Part of him wanted to lock her away, make sure she never hurt anyone again. But he knew, ultimately, it would only cause more problems than solutions. How unfair would he be if he ostracized her even further instead of finding a way to help?_

_"I do," he said, finally. And he meant it. He had done unspeakable things, many in the past five days alone. The only way to keep the family together was to fight against his better judgment. Judgment which had proven to be skewed in the past._

_"It was an accident," she assured him, a new wave of tears beginning. "And I was... I was angry, and... It just happened."_

_He walked forward and pulled her into his arms, gently shushing her. He didn't need to hear any more. He just needed to figure out how they were going to get her power under control. Allison had survived; Luther had to remind himself of that. But if they were all going to survive, Vanya had to become a true member of the Umbrella Academy, once and for all._

I sat up in bed, drenched in sweat, though I felt chills from head to toe. Never in my life had I had a dream so vivid, like I was feeling a real person's emotions. The absolute torment of indecision in this man's mind felt as though it was my own. In a way so strange and yet somehow...familiar. I knew these strangers, but only one of them truly stuck out in my mind. 

As my eyes adjusted to the dark and the chill bumps on my arms subsided, I whispered, "Vanya."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Though I feel it does not need to be said, this work is in no way affiliated with the existing series. It saddens me to say that I do not own The Umbrella Academy, Netflix, or Gerard Way. 
> 
> This is based only off of the television series and will take place in a mystical alternate universe in which Luther is not a (total) prick and actually listened to Vanya, ultimately ensuring that the apocalypse does not happen. 
> 
> As with the series, there will be some strong language, as well as references to drug use and violence. There will also be instances of abuse that come along with my OC, Olivia.


	2. A Lesson

"So, I mean, obviously, I can't be sure, but apparently the neighbors called the cops, because they heard some weird noises. They found the dude dead with, like, a thousand knives in him."

Penny was regaling me with the story of the crime scene that was in progress on her street. We were in the science fiction section of the bookstore, shelving the shipment that had just arrived. Though she was deep in her tale, I was only half-listening. My mind, was wandering back to the dream I'd had last night. The absolute roller coaster of emotions a stranger had projected onto me. I could still feel the silent rage as it was replaced with a need to protect this woman, his sister. What sort of awful act could she have committed to provoke this? And, worse, what could he have done in his past to ultimately forgive her?

Everything had been so real, as if I was channeling someone's true feelings. Though I had often absorbed the emotions of others, it had never happened this way. A situation which strangely made me wonder if it was more realistic than the experiences I had in my day-to-day life. Usually, I tapped into people to see what kind of books they wanted, not to find out which ways their family members had betrayed them. I wondered if there was a deeper meaning to what had happened, or if I was reading too much into it. 

My thoughts were shattered by a touch on my shoulder. With a jump, I glanced to Penny.

"Did you hear me?" she asked, turning back to her shelf. "I said they didn't find any fingerprints on anything. No sign of forced entry. Isn't that so weird?"

I sighed and shook my head. My dreams would have to be dissected at another time. There was no peace to be had here. Not when my coworker had her idea of a riveting piece of news. Crime was not exactly rare in this city, but with her fascination, she took it upon herself to keep me up-to-date on all of it. 

"How would you even know that?" I responded, giving in."Didn't it just happen last night?"

Penny smirked, straightening a book on a display stand. I knew exactly what that look meant, and I was severely disappointed in her. She really never could learn a lesson. In the ten months that we had been friends, she had proven to be book smart, but not the best at making decisions. Yet she never ceased to surprise me. 

Without a word, I rolled my eyes and slid my last book into place before turning to walk toward the front counter. She just laughed, following me. 

"I can't believe you're still seeing him," I stated, sitting on one of the stools behind the computer. 

My friend joined me behind the counter and leaned against it, still laughing. "Oh, come on. Why wouldn't I?"

With a sigh, I grabbed my coffee, trying to decide if she really wanted me to answer that. I looked past her at our single customer, an older lady who was scanning the romance titles. Knowing that she would be fine without our help, I decided to indulge Penny. 

"Well, that's easy enough," I said, lowering my voice. "He's self-absorbed, dim-witted, misogynistic, and... Oh, yeah. He's married."

Penny smiled as I took a drink from my coffee. With that, I already knew I was going to regret it. 

"You forgot 'excellent in bed.'"

There it was. I faked a gag as I gave my attention to the computer, clicking onto the supplier's website. Penny put a hand on my shoulder. 

"Just because you don't get laid doesn't mean the rest of us have to abstain."

I scoffed, shaking my head. From across the room, the woman was emitting discomfort. Penny was terrible at saying inappropriate things in mixed company. But she also had a way of latching onto a conversation and not letting it go until she was satisfied. 

I rolled my eyes. "I'm happy you're happy," I conceded, clicking randomly around the website. "And I'm getting laid plenty."

Penny leaned across me, took my hand from the computer mouse and held it both of hers. I turned to look at her, saw the earnest expression, and braced myself.

"Olivia. You have not slept with a girl since you got here. And that's a fact."

I hesitated. Because she was right. Since my ex had left me, it had been a string of lonely nights in my apartment which blurred into weeks.  If I wasn't at work or home, I was in a big, comfortable chair, discussing my depression and anxiety with Dr Rhoda Gillman. Somehow, I was still reeling from that feeling of finding out someone with whom I had spent six years was in love with someone else. It had just been so easy for her to walk away from the life we had built together. Because of her, I had run from my problems, packed up everything and moved. I couldn't bear to be in the same town as her. 

"Yeah," I finally replied, "it's been almost a year since Jess...since I've gotten any."

In my peripheral vision, I saw the woman walk away from the shelf and towards the door. She had definitely heard at least part of the conversation, and now I was overcome with embarrassment. Penny and I both looked at her. 

"Have a nice day!" Penny called in her most chipper voice. 

The woman stopped for a moment and waved. For the fun of it, I concentrated as she left and heard, _Don't let my leaving interrupt you_ , before the door closed behind her. 

"Well, that's a negative review on Yelp," I informed Penny, going back to the computer and switching to email. 

"Did you do your thing?" Penny asked. "Did she hear us?"

"I would say so. You've really got to get better at reading a room."

Penny let out a short laugh. "But that's why I've got you. It's so cool that you can do that. I wish I was a...what did you call it again?"

I finally cracked a smile. "Empath. And it's just reading vibes," I lied. "I wouldn't exactly call it..."

I had absentmindedly clicked on an email that cause me to trail off. It was a notice from the Pluvium Chamber Orchestra

 **Due to unforeseen circumstances, the featured violinist for tonight's concert at the Icarus Theatre will be Paige Harper.  
We wish Vanya Hargreeves a speedy recovery and look forward to her rejoining us for our next concert series.**

My chest tightened as I read and reread the email. In the image, front and center, there she was. The one who had committed some familial wrong. A ringing sound began in my ears and slowly intensified as I stared at the photograph. She looked so serene and professional, a stark contrast to the disheveled, emotional mess she had been in my memory of her. In that moment, I knew my dream had to have some basis in reality. My mind was racing as I tried to explain everything away. But when it came down to it, I had never seen this woman before in my life, yet here she was, the literal woman of my dreams. 

"Uh...you alright over there?" Penny asked, waving her hand in front of my face. "You're zoning out."

I blinked twice before turning to her. "Have you seen this?" I said, pointing to the screen. 

She squinted at the message and let out an unenthusiastic, "Huh," before looking down at her phone.

I scratched the back of my head, gazing at the picture again. This was all so confusing; I was convinced that I had never seen this person before. The brain wasn't complex enough to create new people, let alone imagine them up right before actually seeing them. 

"Why? Do you want to go?" she asked."I used to date a guy who works at Icarus. I'm sure I could get us tickets."

"I... No. I'm good. I just recognize this from somewhere."

Penny jabbed her thumb over her shoulder, in the direction of the front door. 

"The poster has been up for two days. Do you have a crush or something?"

Ignoring her question, I got up and followed her gesture to the cork board that was filled with various fliers for upcoming community events. There, hanging from the corner, was the tangible version of the image I had just seen. I pulled it from its staples, staring closely at her picture. My fingers traced her cheek, and I was overcome with a need to protect her at all costs. This was such an odd feeling, being so drawn with no explanation. 

"Olivia, really, are you alright?" Penny's voice sounded far away, in another dimension. It was hard to hear with all the sudden anxiety that was building from deep within me. Still, I tried my best to keep my cool.

"I've seen her before," I said. Slowly, I turned around and showed it to her, physically working myself back into reality. "This woman. I've seen her before. She's just so...familiar for some reason. Do we know her?"

She was confused as she replied, "Yeah, I think we carried her book for a while, but that's all I know about her. You're acting weird."

"She wrote a book?"

Before she could say anything, my feet began to carry me back to the computer. I set the poster to the side and clicked through our inventory system, searching, _Hargreeves, Vanya_. One  result came back, for a book called _Extra Ordinary_ , but our quantity was down to zero. Penny was looking over my shoulder and said, "When they stopped selling, I think Ginger gave them away or sold them on Amazon or something. No one really cares about the Umbrella Academy anymore. At least, not like they did when we were kids."

I crossed my arms on the counter, pulling at pills on the arms of my sweater. "The Umbrella Academy? What's that?"

"Christ, I forget you're not from here." She settled on the stool next to me and crossed her legs. "It was a group of these six, like, vigilante kids that some weirdo billionaire adopted. But, yeah, they were wildly popular in the early two-thousands. Then they just kind of faded away until this chick wrote some sort of tell-all memoir a couple years ago about how toxic the whole thing was. You know, we should have held onto that book. He just died last week; we could have sold a few copies."

"Vigilante kids?" I echoed, confused. "What the hell? Isn't that...dangerous?"

She shrugged. "Clearly the guy was operating on very few brain cells. He didn't sound like the most loving father figure."

I glanced back down at the poster, but started to feel dizzy almost immediately. It was unbearable, so I flipped it over and put my hands to my head before saying, "And so this woman, Vanya...she was one of them? A crime-fighting adolescent with daddy issues?"

"Nah, only six were really given the glory. According to her book, he was kind of shitty, kept her pretty well separated from everyone else. If you ask me, a memoir is such a petty, jealous move."

That didn't sound right to me for some reason, but having no proof to the contrary, I resolved to silently nodding and picked up my coffee again. My brain was on information overload. Part of me just wanted to let this all go. But in the back of my mind, I knew that this was more than a coincidence. Some driving force was attracting me to her. I wanted to learn everything that I could about her and her past. Something had to explain all of this. 

"Seriously, if you're crushing on her, I could set it up," Penny told me."That guy Tom, at the theater. I'm sure he knows someone who knows her."

I stood up and grabbed my jacket from under the counter. Some time alone with my thoughts. That was all I needed right now. Just a minute to clear it all out, away from Penny's information and questions.

"I'm gonna go out back for a sec," I said. "Take a quick smoke break. Try to not drive out all these amazing customers."

I gestured around the empty store. She laughed as I made my way through the aisles. 

-

_A heavy silence hung over the dining room table. We both kept our eyes down on our plates. It was a common occurrence, only growing more so lately. My teenage years were rough, but to come home to this, I felt like I didn't belong anywhere. Even across from my mother. I couldn't help but feel like a stranger in our apartment._

_I didn't dare be the first one to break the ice. For the most part, my mother was an even-tempered woman, but when she was in a bad mood, every step was like evading a land mine, uncertain and treacherous. Usually, I was able to avoid the trouble, but a few bruises had managed to work their way onto my arms and torso in the past. It didn't take me long to learn how to keep to myself, though that didn't work one-hundred percent of the time._

_Even so, I knew it wasn't her fault. Not completely. She was a single mom who had been disowned by her parents. Working two jobs and trying to raise a child would be hard on anybody. But most people had at least some sort of support. She and I were on our own._

_Now, I could tell that my best bet was to not speak until spoken to. She had a way of bringing her work frustrations home. I stole a glance to her. Her face was stony, mouth tight. She stabbed her vegetables violently with her fork, causing my chest to tighten. I immediately began thinking of all the things I needed to do before starting my homework. Dishes, clean the counters, sweep and scrub the floors... It would never be enough. And I knew there was an easy way to find out._

_I hadn't used my power on my mother before. Usually, they were reserved for passing tests in school and shoplifting small items. I was too scared to take a look inside her mind. But I wanted the easiest way to avoid a confrontation._

_I took a chance and concentrated hard as I took a sip from my water. My ears began ringing, a loud, high-pitched tone that almost hurt, but I kept pushing. This was the only way to find out what I needed to do to keep myself safe. Just when it became unbearable, the sound faded, and her thoughts entered my mind._

Little brat. I don't know how this happened. I should have just given her up. Why did I keep a kid that I didn't even want? How did I get so fucked over. 

_I swallowed hard and broke the connection. This was more than I wanted. It had always been my mom and I for my entire life. It was known that there had been regrets about my birth, but not to this extreme._

_Tears slipped from my eyes, and I bit my lip to keep from making a sound. I pushed my blonde hair in front of my face to hide any emotion that could possibly be displayed on my face._

-

Crouched down in the alleyway behind the store, I wiped tears from my eyes. Soon after that, I had left my mom's house and hadn't spoken to her since. Usually, I felt good about the past fifteen years away from her abuse, but there had been the rare happy moment too. 

Twice in my life, I had run to a new town to get away and start over. I needed this one to be my home; I couldn't handle doing it all over again.


	3. An Encounter

_I sat quietly in my chair, legs tucked underneath me. Nothing but the dim floor lamp lighting the small studio apartment. The last of the tears were drying on my cheeks as I stared into nothingness. The world around me felt empty and cold, despite the June heat, and everything inside me was tangled and aching. All there was to do was wait. She should have been home hours ago; it was like she wasn't even trying to hide it anymore._

_Finally, keys rattled in the lock, and the door opened behind me. I sat in anticipation as her footsteps entered the room, the door closed, the lock clicked. The keys fell into the bowl, and I heard Jess sigh._

_"Where were you?" I asked as she walked to sit on the sofa._

_The sound of her hands on her pants and then, quietly, "Uh, just getting a drink with my coworkers. Talking about a project. I told you that."_

_I closed my eyes, leaning back, and took a deep breath. "Oh."_

_She scratched her head."In fact, it could be a couple more late nights. So...just be--"_

_"Please stop lying to me," I said, my voice breaking. I opened my eyes and tilted my head to the side so that I could see her. Jess just looked down at her hands, flat against her thighs._

_She cleared her throat. "Only if you stop doing that."_

_I let out a breathy laugh, shaking my head. "I don't have to read your mind to know. Just tell me how long you've been seeing her."_

_Another short cough. "I don't know," she replied, finally looking up at me. "I...I really don't know. A month, maybe?"_

_"Okay," I said and got up. My feet carried me to the kitchenette, and I got a beer out of the fridge._

_"That's it?" Jess said as I opened it and took a long swig. "We've been together six years, and all you have to say is 'okay?'"_

_I swiveled back to face her, in disbelief. "You had an affair. And you want to tell me how long we've been together? What do you want me to say? Do you want me to beg you to leave her? Do you want me to ask why?"_

_She stood up, and I stormed over to her. "Do you honestly think that I haven't been going through every single possible question over and over in the past three hours? I already know every answer you could give me, Jess. I know she's a friend from work that you'd been innocently flirting with. Or that she's someone you ran into on the bus. Or you met her on a dating site."_

_Tears were pouring now, against my wishes. On top of my own sadness, I could feel her indifference, and that hurt more. The rift I had known was developing had reached maximum distance, and there was nothing to be done about it. We were suddenly worlds apart._

_"What do you want me to do?" she asked, her tone rising. "Just tell me what you want."_

_I set the beer down on the end table and took a breath. "I think you already have your mind made up."_

_Jess sighed, crossing her arms. I held up my hands to stop her before she could argue more._

_"I'm not reading your mind!" I repeated and yelled out in frustration. "I don't have to! Is that what you think I do? You think I just go through life tapping into everyone's thoughts? You don't know how I feel!"_

_"You know what? Go ahead." She pointed to her head. "Get in there! Take a peek behind the curtain! If you want to make yourself a victim, open up the book and read to your heart's content, Liv."_

_I looked down at the floor and whispered, "I don't want that."_

_There was a moment of silence, and Jess pushed past me. Within minutes, she was out the door with a suitcase._

-

My thirst for knowledge bordered on obsession. Four days had passed since the original seed had been planted, and now my intrigue had grown the size of a redwood. I tried to stave it off, but curiosity got the better of me, sending me down a rabbit hole of research. So far, I had learned that Vanya taught violin on the side and nearly signed up for lessons. But that was a level of stalking that I wasn't prepared to go through. 

I had downloaded her book into my phone and read it in a single night. It had gone into her childhood, how she stood by and watched as her father manipulated her siblings and herself. How she was made to feel substandard compared to the others. I finished the book, feeling even more compelled to reach out to her. 

My phone rang as I was deep into the Wikipedia page about the Umbrella Academy. Without looking at it, I answered. 

"What are you doing?" Penny asked. 

I laughed. "Watching porn. What's up?"

Closing my laptop, I leaned back in my chair, sure of where this conversation was going to lead. There was only one reason Penny called me on a Saturday night. 

"Wrong. You're getting ready to join me at the Aster." There was something suspicious about her tone, and I silently prayed she wasn't trying to set me up with one of her college friends again. 

I looked at my watch. It was only seven-thirty. Penny's nights out didn't usually start until at least ten. There was definitely something a little fishy going on. 

"Isn't the Aster that kind of ritzy bar downtown?" I asked, swiveling  the chair slowly back and forth with my foot. "We're not exactly rolling in it."

She sighed loudly. "Robert is going; he'll pay for everything."

I furrowed my brow, getting to my feet and heading to my closet. "Robert? Which one is that?"

"Oh, you know. Robert. The lawyer," she said as if I was supposed to be keeping track of her many boyfriends. 

The selection of clothing was mediocre at best. My style was less glam and more Tegan and Sara. Surely there had to be a dress somewhere. 

"Fine. I can't say no to you."

-

I walked in, and Penny greeted me with a squeal and a hug. She led me to a sofa where her friend was already sitting with drink in hand. To no surprise, he was good-looking, with perfectly gelled brown hair and bright blue eyes. In fact, he was pretty much a carbon-copy of all the other men she was dating. It was a wonder to me how she kept them all straight. 

Before we could even introduce ourselves to each other, Penny put her arm tightly around me. "You will never guess who is here."

I was sure that I didn't want to, so I replied, "You're probably right, because my guess is Bob Hope. And I'm pretty sure he's dead."

She giggled and leaned closer to whisper in my ear, "Vanya Hargreeves."

Immediately, my entire body froze. I knew she had been up to something when we'd talked on the phone. But I wasn't expecting that "something" to be full-fledged stalking. All I wanted to do was run out of the building as quickly as I could and never look back. But Penny turned me in the direction of the bar, where, sure enough, Vanya was sitting with a pretty black woman I recognized as actress Allison Hargreeves. 

"She's with her sister, P. What do you expect me to do?" I said, regaining feeling in my legs and pulling away from her. 

Penny looked smugly at me. "Someone's been doing her research. Go talk to her!"

"No, Pen. I mean it. Is this why you asked me to crash your date?"

"Maybe. Look, look! Allison is going to the bathroom. Now is your chance."

She pushed me toward the bar, giving me little choice. I took a deep breath and walked over, standing behind the chair next to Vanya's and trying to get the bartender's attention. He was busy with a customer at the other end, causing me to awkwardly wait there. I glanced at her, in her grey sweater, dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. Before I could say anything, she caught me looking at her. 

"Hey," she said with a tone of confusion that made me feel like a complete asshole.

"Hey... Sorry, you just look really familiar," I replied, trying to sound casual. "Is your name Vanya, by chance?"

She nodded and gave me a small smile. "Guilty as charged. Do I know you?"

My heart was pounding. I wanted to ask her about her brother, about whatever had caused such a rift between them. So many thoughts were racing around my head, lapping each other and begging to be the one I said out loud. I could sense that she just wanted me to walk away, that she wasn't in the mood for a conversation with a stranger. At that moment, the bartender came over. I asked for a whisky neat. 

As he poured it, I told her, "I work at the bookstore down the street and saw your poster for the chamber concert."

I received my drink and gave her a small nod before turning back to my friends. But apparently that wasn't the end of it. 

"Hey, wait!" she called. I spun to face her. "My sister has to go home soon. Would you...want to drink that here?"

For some reason, this heightened my anxiety. If we had an actual conversation, something stupid was bound to come out of my mouth. But if I declined, Penny would never let me live it down. I glanced over my shoulder at my friend, who was snuggled close to Robert, laughing at something he had said. Right now, the possibility of fucking up was way more appealing than being third wheel to that. I met Vanya's eyes and nodded before sitting down. 

"I'm Olivia," I said, holding out my hand. 

"Vanya, but you already knew that," she replied, shaking my hand before returning to her drink. "So are you from here?"

"No, I moved here a year ago from Bloomfield. Needed a change of scenery. You?"

She nodded slowly, turning her glass in her hands. "As far as I can remember."

Allison strode over to us and tapped Vanya on the shoulder. She was even prettier in person than on the screen. Her hair was piled into a bun on her head, and she wore all black, from her shoes to the scarf around her neck. She pointed to her wrist, then towards the door, indicating that she needed to go. 

"Yeah, go get some rest," Vanya said to her.

Her sister looked at me, then back to Vanya and gave her a thumbs-up with a quizzical look on her face. 

"I'll be fine. This is Olivia. She works at the bookstore." Vanya turned to me."Olivia, this is my sister Allison. She's...on vocal rest right now; that's why she's not talking."

"Oh, yeah. Hi, nice to meet you. I love your work."

Allison smiled and bowed her head briefly. I fought the urge to tap into her thoughts as she gave her sister a hug. When she pulled away, she held her hand to her face as if to say, "Call me."

"I will," Vanya assured her. 

I waved to Allison, feeling awkward as we watched her leave. Once she was gone there was a silence between us, and I stole another glance to Penny. She smiled and have me a thumbs up. I just rolled my eyes and turned back to my drink and took a sip, savoring the way it burned the back of my throat. 

"So..." I started and cleared my throat. "Born and raised right here, huh?"

Vanya chuckled softly. "No, actually. I was born in Russia. But my dad adopted me when I was an infant."

"Oh," I replied simply, feeling like an idiot. I had known that. She didn't know that I knew that, but even so, it seemed like a dumb thing to ask. 

"I mean, I don't really know anything about my country," she expounded. "I don't even know Russian. My brother, Klaus, is more of the language guy. He's fluent in probably four languages and conversational in even more."

I nearly choked on my whisky and coughed as I set down the glass. "Christ. I thought holding onto my high school French was impressive."

She nodded, a smile playing at her lips. "He's interesting for sure."

Her brown eyes flickered up to meet mine. I pulled a quick breath in and bit my lip, my stomach going in knots. The picture on that poster certainly didn't do her any justice. Here, in front of me, she was absolutely beautiful. It almost made me think that Penny was right, and that I did have a crush on her. 

"Wow," I whispered, beyond my own control. A blush crept into my cheeks as I backpeddled. "I mean, that he knows all those languages. That's...that's crazy."

"Well, I'm sure you understand. What's your family like?"

"Oh, dear. Where to begin?" I said, bringing my drink to my lips again. 

She laughed, and I noticed how perfectly straight her teeth were. The corners of her mouth wrinkled in such a cute way. I couldn't help but to laugh too. 

"What? Full of weirdos or something?" she asked, crossing her arms on top of the bar. 

I shook my head and held up a finger. "Just one weirdo. My mom raised me by herself. I was an accident; she hated it."

Vanya looked surprised. "She told you that?"

"Oh, no. Absolutely not. She was..." I trailed off, then thought better off it. "That is too much information for a first encounter."

She shrugged, picking up her drink. "Why not go ahead? We can share our battle wounds."

I looked her over, thinking about what to say. There was no way to admit that I already knew just about everything there was to know about her. And thanks to that lingering dream, I wanted to see if this attraction I felt was real. Finally, I gave in. Even if this was just some stupid coincidence, maybe I could at least gain a friend from this. 

"Well, she had me when she was seventeen, claimed she had no idea how," I started. "Her parents kicked her out of the house almost immediately. So I don't know them, my aunt, or my father."

Vanya's interest seemed piqued at this, so I continued, "She was really abusive. And...when I was sixteen, I...overheard that she wanted nothing to do with me. So I dropped out of school and ran away from home."

Her jaw dropped, and I laughed softly before finishing off my drink. 

"So what did you do?" she pressed. "I mean, I fantasized about running away from home all the time, but I never actually did it."

"Well, I lived on the streets for a while," I admitted. "Got a few part-time jobs to get by. Eventually I got an apartment, met my ex, and got my GED. So not all bad."

The bartender came by and gestured at our empty glasses. I looked at Vanya to see what she wanted to do. She shrugged and said, "Why not? Put hers on my tab."

The blood rushed to my face again. She was so sweet that it was hard to believe all the things from her book. Everything from her past would have given her every right to be bitter and reserved. It was amazing to see how well-adjusted she was. 

As fresh drinks were set in front of us, Vanya said, "So what was he like?"

"He...who?"

"Your ex-boyfriend," she explained. "Why did you guys break up?"

I laughed out at this and quickly covered my mouth when I saw how confused she looked. It had been a long time since I had heard someone say that.

"Sorry," I said once I'd stopped. "I'm gay. So, ex-girlfriend."

"Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

I held up a hand. "It's fine. I know I don't exactly 'look' gay. But she was okay. We were together for six years, and then she cheated on me. So...I moved here. But enough about me."

Vanya hesitated, then nodded. "Well, I have five brothers and a sister. We were all adopted, and our childhood was weird, to say the least. Okay, you know, I'll just tell you; I wrote a whole book about it."

She started in on everything: her dad, the Umbrella Academy, the weird powers all her siblings had, and how she felt like an outcast her whole life. I held onto every word, absolutely captivated. Hearing it in person was completely different from reading her book. Vanya really had had it so rough, but she seemed so calm about everything. Just listening to her made me want to trust her. When she finished, I was left with even more questions, but I didn't want to pry. She had already shared so much that pushing it felt like a bad move. But now I felt confident in dropping my own bombshell on her. 

"Can I tell you something?" I asked, rubbing the back of my neck. 

Vanya glanced up at me and nodded. I really, _really_ loved those eyes. She had a way of fully concentrating them on whomever she was talking to. It made me feel like we were the only two people in the room. And for a moment, it was true. As she looked at me, everything else just faded away to nothingness. I wondered if I was the only one who felt this intense connection. 

I took a deep breath and looked down at my drink. "You're probably going to think I'm crazy. But...ever since I was little...I've had this ability. Kind of like your siblings."

Daring a look at her, I saw that her eyes were wide, and something like shock was radiating from her. I was almost afraid to know what that meant, but decided to continue, lowering my voice. 

"When I told you that I overheard my mom saying she didn't want me...it was by tapping into her mind. I'm a telepath."

Vanya blinked at me, then set her drink down. Without responding, she waved down the bartender and asked to close out her tab. I felt as if someone had punched me in the stomach. All the air rushed out of my body. Embarrassment rained down on me, and a million thoughts passed through my brain as she signed her check and got up to leave. 

For a moment, I sat there in stunned silence. Maybe I really had been wrong this entire time, and everything was just an illusion I had built. Even so, I got up from my seat and walked out after her. She was halfway down the block when I caught sight of her. 

"Vanya!" I called out, and ran to catch up with her. "Vanya, wait. Please."

"No, just stay away from me!" she yelled once I had met her stride. "I don't know you, and it is in your best interest to leave me alone!"

I sighed in frustration. "I know. But please. Please listen to me. I'm scared and alone, and I need answers."

She halted and spun to face me. "I'm not Google! You're just some creep who's trying to dig up information on me and my family!"

That felt like a slap in the face. Although, I couldn't blame her. If a stranger came up to me in a bar and laid deeply personal and weird information on me, I would try to get as far away as possible. But I couldn't let this go. There was a reason for all of this; I knew it. 

"I can assure you that I'm not." I sighed."Okay, I found out a few things after I saw your poster. But just give me...five minutes of your time, and I promise that I will never talk to you again."

She shifted her weight uncomfortably between her feet and looked around us. The street was fairly empty, and the air was still, giving our surroundings a surreal effect. Eventually, slowly, she consented. "Yeah, okay. Five minutes. But that's it, alright?"

"Thank you," I replied with a sigh of relief. Trying to find the right words, I slowly said, "Listen. You don't know me; I get it. I'm not even asking you to trust me. And I have no reason to know that we're connected in some way, but I do. And we are. 

"Something really weird is going on, and I can't talk to my only friend about it. She's not like me...or your brothers and sister. And I don't know what it means, but I had a dream about you the other night."

As soon as it came out, I regretted it. Vanya scoffed and started walking away again. But I wasn't about to give up that easily. I followed her and touched her arm. She pulled away, but stopped walking all the same. So I took that as an invitation to keep going. 

"It was before I even knew you existed," I continued. "I had never heard your name or even seen you. Until I saw that poster for the orchestra concert, I didn't even know that you were real. But I saw you, and I saw this guy. And he was pissed; something about you hurting someone. He wanted to hurt you, but you changed his mind."

Vanya breathed out shakily and turned to me again. When she looked up at me, her eyes were glassy, like she was about to cry. I bit my lip and waited for her to say something.

"How do you know about that?" she asked quietly. She shook her head, mouth open in surprise. "There's no way you could know that."

"So that...that really happened?" 

Even I was shocked now. I had really been banking on it being some kind of coincidence. Feeling weak, I cross the sidewalk to a bench and sank down onto it. I pulled my pack of cigarettes out and lit one with a trembling hand. 

"Yeah. That really happened," she told me.

"I guess it has something to do with my telepathy. I can pick up people's emotions and thoughts, but... It's only when I'm awake and concentrating on it."

There was a long pause, and I worried that she was going to just leave it at that. I wouldn't have blamed her, though. It would scare me, too, if a stranger tried to insert themselves into my life because we had the smallest thing in common. 

"You should really quit," she finally said, pointing to the cigarette in my hand.

I smiled and leaned my head against the back of the bench, looking up to the sky, as she sat down. It was a nice night, the first in a while, yet I couldn't fully enjoy it. I was still trying to wrap my head around the whole thing. 

I took a deep breath, then said, "I am planning on it. Quitting. There's just so much shit going on right now."

She let out a short breathy laugh. "I know what you mean."

Vanya crossed her arms tightly across her chest. I watched her lips as she ran a thumb across them. Taking a drag, I tore my gaze away and refocused it back on the sky.

"I mean, one week ago I was the only one of my siblings who was normal," she continued. "Apparently I've been harboring the ability to murder without even knowing it."

I sat up straight and looked at her at this new development. According to everything I had learned so far, she was the only one of her siblings without a power. This was a whole different ball game now. 

"You...I'm sorry. You..." I stammered, trying to get my ducks in a row. "Back up. Have you killed someone?"

She bit her lip, staring down at the sidewalk. "It was this guy.. He kind of worked his way into my life, and we started dating... And I found out that he was using me to unlock my power. So...I freaked out."

I sat for a minute, trying to process all of this, including the fact that she had dated a man. But that wasn't the important part here. We needed to unpack all of this information that we were laying on each other. 

"When was this?" I asked. 

"Uh, last week."

My breath caught in my chest. It began to make sense why she had told me to get away from her. Now it was all I wanted to do. The inexplicable attraction was still there, but this certainly put a damper on everything. I needed to know my background, what was going on with me, but now I wasn't so sure I wanted that anymore. 

"Can I ask you kind of a weird question?" she asked. 

I resisted the urge to say, _Weirder than all this?_ But instead, I went with, "Yeah, go ahead."

"When is your birthday?"


	4. A Development

_Cold, broke, and starving. The nights were long and frightening, spent behind dumpsters in alleyways. The only way to keep track of the days was by the newspapers in the rack in front of the drugstore. Luck was half-finished food that had been thrown out by restaurant staff. It wasn't a life, but it was surviving. And that was what mattered._

_Every now and then, I could work my way into the shelter in the city. But they were so understaffed and undersupplied that the stays there became fewer and further between. When I started working, I made friends that would allow me to crash on their couches every now and then. Or at the very least, let me use their shower. Every cent that I made was saved until there was enough for one of the rent-controlled apartments in the south side._

_It was dirty and had rats. The water ran cold most days, if at all. The heat was near unbearable in the summer, and I shook myself to sleep every night during the winter. But after nearly two years of living in the streets, it was a home. Four walls and a ceiling, no matter the state, was something I would never take for granted._

-

My apartment here was definitely a step up from that one in Bloomfield all those years ago. Now that I had more options, there was always air conditioning or heat when I needed it. It wasn't very big, but as it was just my cat and myself, size was not an issue. Every moment that I spent there, I was proud of how far I had come from cardboard boxes and uncertainty. There were now two sure things in my life, this home and my job. And that had made all the difference. 

It had been a couple days since Vanya and I had met at Aster. She had asked me to coffee so we could clear the air and really delve into our weird connection. Cricket was sprawled out at the foot of my bed, big green eyes watching my every move as I got dressed. I sat next to him, scratching the top of his black head. He meowed loudly at me, pawing at my hand. 

"You're the only love I need, huh, Mr. C?" I said, to which he quickly got up and darted out of the room. "Or not."

My pocket started vibrating, and I pulled my phone out to see an incoming video call from Penny. I tilted my head back and let out a low groan. Time to be nitpicked to death. Reluctantly, I answered, and Penny's perfectly glammed face popped up on the screen. She was smiling, but it quickly faded when she saw what I looked like. 

"That's it?" she asked flatly.

I sighed. "Hi, Penny."

"Liv, you're not wearing any makeup."

Furrowing my brow, I said, "I'm wearing eyeliner."

Penny rolled her eyes. "That is not makeup."

Her idea was that unless a woman was wearing every product under the sun, they were not ready to go out. But I was one to save that look for important events, like weddings. In my eyes, cosmetics were just another way that corporations kept us insecure. Maybe I was just a cynic, but that thinking just didn't suit me. 

"It's altering my face," I told her. "That's literally the definition of makeup."

"Well, are you going to do something with your hair? Honestly, it's like you've never been on a date before."

I ran my fingers through my shoulder-length blonde tresses. "I brushed it."

Penny let out an exasperated sigh. Just from this, I could tell she was one minute away from inviting herself over to "help." 

"And anyway, it's not a date," I said. "Just two people getting coffee. Besides, she's straight."

She snorted. "That girl is about as straight as a circle."

I decided to just leave that one alone. "Did you want to pick apart my outfit, too? Or are you satisfied?"

"No, I already hate it based on the black t-shirt and red pleather jacket. AKA, your uniform."

With a grin, I added, "Would it help to know that I'm also wearing black skinny jeans and red hightops?"

Penny put a hand to her chest and pretended to vomit. So supportive. Although, as far as friends went, she was the only one I wanted...or had. Being an introvert with terrible social anxiety really limited the options. 

"Can I go now?" I asked. "I'm going to be late, thanks to your shenanigans."

"Okay, fine. But one more piece of advice? Don't sleep with her yet."

Without replying, I hung up on her. Sometimes I wondered if she really was that short sighted. Yes, everyone was different, and I really enjoyed that. But her idea of confidence was critiquing everyone else, and a lot of the time, it bothered me more than I wasted to admit. Unfortunately, I was running out of time to change anything about my appearance. 

I went to the door and picked up my keys. My hand hovered over the pack of cigarettes next to them. All that I could hear was Vanya saying, _You should really quit._ It would only be a few hours at most. I could survive that. Plus, despite my best efforts to the contrary, I cared what she thought, so I left without them.

The cafe was only a block away. Despite worrying about being late, I was actually fifteen minutes early. I looked around the mostly empty shop and realized I was also the first to arrive. This was so typical of me, to stress out over nothing. Deciding to hold off on ordering, I went over to a table in the corner to wait for her. 

-

_I was working as a checkout girl at the grocery store when we met. Jess was always impeccably dressed in her button-ups and dress pants when I saw her. Despite seeing hundreds of people a day, she always stuck out in my mind, because she was the only person who actually attempted to make conversation with me. I would always scan her items a little more slowly than others, drawing out our encounters. She was so nice, charming even._

_"Have you tried that?" she asked one day as I scanned a bottle of expensive wine._

_Bagging the bottle, I admitted, "Uh, no. It's a bit out of my price range. Ginn's doesn't exactly pay top dollar."_

_"Hmm," Jess responded. "Well, maybe you should come over sometime and try it."_

_I froze, staring at her for far longer than I intended. Finally, I responded, "Um...no."_

_Jess scratched her ear uncomfortably. "Oh. Wow, sorry. That was totally out of line. I don't..."_

_"Wait. No, sorry. I meant, yes. I just wasn't expecting that."_

_I glanced down my line, which was empty. Reaching up, I turned off the light that indicated I was open. We talked for a little bit longer and exchanged numbers._

_Jess had been wonderful...while it lasted. For the first time, I felt comfortable opening up to someone about everything. And in the beginning, she was understanding. She did everything that she could to normalize my abnormality. The one thing that I never saw coming was her leaving me to deal with everything on my own._

-

The bell on the front door dinged as it opened, and I glanced up, locking eyes with Vanya. She had a messenger bag strung across her torso and was gripping the strap of it. I stood up and waved as she walked toward me. She grinned back, but when she got to me, I realized that I had no clue how to greet her. I settled on holding out my hand and shaking hers. 

"Hey, have you had anything?" she asked. 

"Oh, no, I was waiting for you," I stated, gesturing to a chair. "Go ahead and sit. I owe you for the whisky the other night."

Vanya hesitated, but sat anyway. I started for the counter, and she called after me, "Wait. I didn't tell you what I wanted."

I turned and looked at her for a moment before saying, "Large coffee with two sugars and a splash of cream." A pause. "Wait, no. You're vegan, so almond milk."

"How did you..." She laughed quietly. "Oh, right."

Shaking my head, I went to the register and ordered. For someone who lived surrounded by supernatural abilities, she had a lot of learning to do. As I waited for our drinks, I stole a glance at her looking at her phone. It amazed me that, with everything going on in her life, she could be so calm, or at least appear that way. Aside from all else, I truly admired her, despite only knowing of her for a week. 

When I got our drinks, I went to the bar to the side and doctored hers up before taking them over to her. Vanya thanked me and set her phone to the side. I sat across from her and let silence linger for a bit before I started speaking. 

"So, to pick up where we left off...we have the same birthday, and that somehow explains why we can do things," I said.

She nodded. "I mean, apparently, none of them were even pregnant. Which would explain the things you heard your mom saying. Thinking. You know what I mean."

With a sigh, I took a careful sip of coffee. There were so many questions, and I didn't know where to start. I needed to know everything: how it happened, what it meant, and how it was going to affect us in the long run. I was too old for this. 

"So, what does that even mean?" I asked. "We all just became a full-term fetus in one day? How do you even know this?"

Vanya reached into her back and pulled out a leather-bound book that had  the initials "R. H." in gold lettering. 

"This is my dad's journal," she explained, tapping the cover. She took a deep breath, as if struggling with what to say next. "Leonard - you know, the guy I...dated. He somehow got his hands on this and used all the information to manipulate me into unlocking my power."

"Why would he do that?" I asked, leaning toward her. "What kind of asshole... I'm sorry. That's too much."

I could see from her face that she didn't want to talk about it. It was just too fresh, and I shouldn't push her into anything. The mere fact that she was able to confide in me was enough. Vanya took a drink of coffee and slid the journal back to herself. 

"I don't know," she finally said. "I guess he had the same birthday as us, but under normal circumstances, and felt that we owed him something. But he took all of this and made me feel special for the first time in my life. Turned me against my family. He found out all the horrible lengths my father went to in order to hide this from me. He even used my sister to erase it from my memory."

"Because Allison has the power of...persuasion, right?" 

Vanya nodded. "You looked us up, didn't you?"

I smirked, crossing my arms. "I know a few things."

We looked at each other for a moment. The espresso machine squealed in the background as it steamed milk. It was a nice sort of pause for a change. I didn't feel the need to fill the silence between us, and the vibe she gave off said that she was just as comfortable. For no real reason, I started chuckling as I picked up my drink. 

"What?" she asked, smiling. 

I just shook my head, but she pressed on, "What is so funny?"

"I don't know," I replied."It's just... This is so easy. Talking to you, I mean. I haven't trusted someone so quickly in a long time."

Vanya played with the sleeve of her flannel. "What was her name?"

As much as I didn't want to bring _that_ up, she had shared so much. It would be unfair to keep it to myself. Even if the circumstances were completely different. 

"Jess," I said. "And she was damn near perfect. She's an exec at this big tech company in Bloomfield. We lived this suave, high-class lifestyle, and we were crazy about each other. At least, I thought we were. She left me for her secretary, which is so cliché, but she thought I abused my telepathy and used it on her."

"Did you?" 

I cleared my throat, feeling the emotions building up. "Never. After my mom, I promised myself I wouldn't use it on anyone I was close to."

"Well..." She smiled slyly, picking up her coffee. "You used it on me."

"No, you're just predictable," I told her. Then I added, "I promise I won't do that."

Vanya seemed embarrassed by this. She played with a strand of hair, staring down at her coffee. Her phone started buzzing on the table. We both looked down at it; a call from Luther. She hesitated, then said, "I should probably take this."

I nodded and gestured to it. Vanya picked it up, and I resisted the urge to listen in to both sides. No sense in running a good thing so quickly. So I just sat patiently, hearing just the one side. 

"Yeah... Right now? I'm kind of... No, I know it's important... Okay! Okay, I'll be there as soon as possible." She sighed and hung up, then looked up at me. "I have to go... Family meeting. It's kind of the first I've been invited to."

"Oh, yeah. You should go to that. It sounds pressing."

Vanya nodded, looking away. Taking a chance, I reached out and gently touched her arm. "I completely understand. Family comes first. I'm just a girl who is trying way too hard to be your friend."

At this, she smirked and glanced back up. "You're not trying too hard. It's nice to have someone who understands what I'm going through."

I shrugged. But deep inside, my heart was beating like a bass drum. 

"Let me at least walk you home," she offered as we stood up. 

"Oh, you don't have to do that," I said, walking to the door and holding it for her. 

"You said you don't live far from here, right?"

I paused for a second. "Yeah, okay. Let's go."

For someone who had understandable trust issues, Vanya was so sweet. It was refreshing to be myself around someone. We just clicked on some level, and I was terrified to screw it up somehow. 

"So you've really never been to a family meeting?" I asked as we waited on the corner for the crosswalk signal. "Aren't you family?"

"No, those were saved for the kids who were special. And, well, you know. I had been convinced that I just...wasn't."

The sign changed to the walking man. We crossed the street, and I said, "Until now."

She smiled and echoed, "Until now."

I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, glancing at her. Vanya was so tiny that I couldn't believe the power she held within her. It hadn't escaped me that she had killed a man, and nearly her sister. But I was in awe of her regardless. 

"So what is to be expected at this family meeting?" I asked. "Unless that's too personal."

"Uh..." She chuckled. "I don't know, to be honest. It sounded urgent, though. It means a lot coming from Luther. I mean, Allison probably talked him into it."

I stopped in front of my building. She looked at me, then the door. 

"You weren't kidding when you said you lived close," she said as we went in.

With a laugh, I said, "Yeah, it is conveniently located to literally everything."

We made our way up the stairs and down the hall. I took a little more time than necessary finding my keys and unlocking the door to my apartment. When I got it opened, I said, "Well, I really enjoyed--"

"Um, Olivia?" Vanya sounded worried as she looked past me. "I'm really trying to not sound judgy, but..."

She pointed inside, and I turned around, confused. All of my furniture had been thrown around the room. Books from the shelf were scattered across the floor. I walked in, my heart sinking into my shoes. Someone had ransacked my apartment. My desk was a complete mess, but my laptop, though open, was still there. At first, it seemed like nothing had been taken until I saw the empty drawer under my computer. 

"Oh, shit. No!" I exclaimed, seeing that my journal was missing. I'd had it since I first discovered my powers and used it to keep track of every instance of it, including the dream. "They took my fucking journal!"

Vanya had walked in after me. I turned to look at her and saw that she was nearly as surprised as me. "What does that mean?"

I sank down onto the floor, in absolute disbelief. For so long, I had managed to stay lowkey and made sure no one knew about me. Aside from Vanya, Jess was the only person I had told. But she was miles away and had no clue where I was. 

"Vanya..." I said, near tears as I looked up at her. "Vanya, someone knows about me." 

Without any delay, she grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. "You should come with me."


	5. A Turn

I stared up at the ostentatious building with its wrought-iron gates, each bearing a "U." It was highly intimidating, just standing outside of it; the photographs online had not done it justice. The white brick façade was somehow ominous, and coupled with the absolute terror that someone was following me, I was petrified. Everything was stacking up against me, ready to take me down at the push of a feather. I started to wonder if the best thing for me would have been to just keep to myself the other night. Instead, I had to chase the thin silver line that kept me intrigued by Vanya and her family. 

"Are you coming?" she asked, already through the gates and to the front door. 

I slowly ascended the steps, feeling unworthy to be walking on them. With Jess, I had gone to fancy parties in uptown lofts, but this was a new level of extravagance. 

"You grew up in this?" I asked as she opened the door and held it for me. 

We entered the vestibule, and I waited for her to open the second door. As she did, she said, "Yeah, renovating the whole block was a bit over the top, but that's how Dad did things."

I looked at her in disbelief. "What do you mean, 'the whole block?'"

Vanya smirked and led me into the entry hall. It was all marble and dark oak. A wide staircase took up much of the back of the room. My jaw dropped as I looked up and saw two levels of balconies below the ceiling with its ornate chandelier. I had stepped into something closer to a country palace than a building in a city. Everything about the foyer itself boasted expense. How did one man afford all of this on his own?

To our right, I heard footsteps and turned to see that I was, in fact, hallucinating. A chimpanzee, wearing a three-piece suit and half-moon glasses stood in the doorway. It was upright, but leaning on a cane. I glanced to Vanya, who appeared as calm as usual. I began to feel that all of this was an elaborate prank. 

"Ah, Miss Vanya," it said in a deep British accent, "I see you've brought a guest. You'll understand that she will have to remain here as you speak to your siblings."

"Pogo, this is Olivia King. She's one of the Others," Vanya informed him. 

Not knowing what else to do, I extended a hand towards the chimp. It looked at it for a moment before placing its rough paw into my hand and shaking it. I attempted to keep a straight face at the whole thing.

"If it's all the same, I'd like her to meet everyone," Vanya continued. "She needs our help."

Pogo paused for a moment, then bowed his head. "Very well. You'll find them in the drawing room."

He extended his free paw toward the door out of which he had just come. We followed his gesture into a large room, filled with antique furniture and decor. Four people were already in there; Allison sat on a chair to the side. I recognized a large man sitting on one couch as the one from my dream, and almost immediately felt dislike for him. Across from him, on the other sofa, was a scrawny guy with a mess of curly brown hair and a Hispanic man, turning a small knife in his hands. All except the skinny one looked slightly displeased almost instantly that I was there. Biting my lip, I turned to Vanya. 

"I shouldn't be here," I whispered. 

She shook her head. "It'll be fine. You can't go back to your apartment right now anyway."

"Oh, goody! Vanya's brought us a friend!" 

We both looked at the one with curly hair. She replied, "Guys, this is Olivia. Her place got broken into."

From thin air, a teenaged boy popped in front of us, holding a glass of amber liquid. I took a step backwards as he looked me up and down before going to join the others. Vanya put a hand on my elbow and led me to the couch where the dream guy was sitting. I sat on the edge, as far from him as possible, as she settled between us. Not an easy task, given the massive expanse of his shoulders. There was a tense silence as everyone stared at me. The scrawny guy got up, a cigarette dangling from his lips, and sat on the arm of the sofa next to me. 

"What brings you to our little shindig?" he asked, twirling a lock of my hair between his fingers. 

"Uh..." I started, but was interrupted by the man in all black with whom he'd been sitting. 

"Yeah, no offense, but this is kind of a closed meeting. Official family business."

Everyone started talking over each other, making me extremely uncomfortable. I started to get up from the sofa until Allison started banging her hand on the coffee table. All the talking stopped, and she gestured to Vanya. They gave each other small smiles, and Vanya began to explain. 

"Olivia was born on the same day as all of us," she told them. "She has the ability to read minds, and someone found out. They broke into her apartment while we were getting coffee and took her journal. Someone has clearly been tracking her. She's a part of this now."

There was a pause. I heard pen on paper and glanced at Allison. When she was done writing, she held up the notepad that had been on her lap. " _Commission_?"

"No, Five said that's been taken care of," the big guy said, then looked at the teenager. "Five?"

"The Handler is dead, yes," the kid answered. "But there is always the possibility of a rogue agent. Someone who got a mission and decided to go through with it out of pure loyalty. With something like the Commission, taking out the leader doesn't necessarily extinguish the flame of allegiance. And now that we've successfully stopped the apocalypse, there are going to be some angry agents out there."

"Okay, slow down," I said, holding a hand up. There was a lot here to take in. "Can we start with introductions or something? I really have no clue what any of you are talking about."

They had all grown up since the photographs I had found online. And even then, none of the names had really sunk in for me. I felt completely and totally out of place sitting among them. Every minute made me want to leave even more. Next to me, Vanya sighed and idly rested her hand on my knee. 

"Sorry, you're right," she said. "They get very into their discussions."

Vanya pointed around the room. The big guy next to her, for whom I already harbored a grudge, was Luther. The teenaged boy, with his alcoholic beverage, was Five. Diego was impatiently sitting across from us, still spinning a knife. And next to me, still perched on the arm of the sofa and gazing into the distance, was Klaus. He muttered something to the air next to him before reengaging with the rest of the group. 

"And we are joined today by our adorable new friend, Olivia, who is tapping into each of our minds as we speak," he said, clasping both hands to his head. "Tell me, what am I thinking right now?"

"Here we go," Diego mumbled.

"I don't do that," I said. "I only use it in extreme circumstances now."

Klaus draped an arm across my shoulders, his cigarette coming dangerously close to my jacket. Vanya quickly took it from him and extinguished it in the ash tray on the coffee table. I darted a thankful glimpse to her. 

"Oh, come on. Take a look," he said, standing and putting his fingers to his temples. Scrunching up his face, he added, "I'll help you."

With a sigh, I turned to fully face him, concentrating. The familiar ringing filled the quiet, drowning everything else out. As soon as the sound faded, I was met with phallic images in my own head and immediately broke the connection. 

"Are you kidding me?" I demanded, putting my hands over my eyes, despite knowing fully that that wouldn't erase the image. Klaus laughed, and I peered over my fingers to watch him walk back to the couch next to Diego. "What the hell was that for?"

"Sometimes I wonder what goes on in that thing Klaus calls a brain," Five mused. "At least now I know that some things are better left a mystery."

I rubbed my eyes, trying to regroup. "Okay, so what is this Commission thing?" I asked, sitting up again.

Five crossed the room to the bar and poured himself another drink. I couldn't believe how blasé everyone was being about this teenager blatantly drinking in their company. What kind of family had I just walked into?

"The Commission," he said, "was a group of highly trained and poorly compensated assassins. They were tasked with ensuring catastrophic events around the globe, all out of a warehouse in 1955."

He sauntered back to us, taking a sip from his drink. "I worked closely with them for many years while I was stuck out of time. They are not to be trifled with; they will go to any means necessary to complete the task they've been given. After Vanya here killed Harold Jenkins, successfully avoiding the apocalypse, I tracked down their leader to find out that she had been put down by one of her own."

I looked at Vanya again. "You didn't tell me you stopped the apocalypse."

She gave me a shy smile and said, "Well, I didn't want to brag."

I put my hand on my thigh and realized that hers was still there. Neither of us moved or said anything for a moment. Diego cleared his throat and said, "So how did you two meet?"

Vanya pulled away and rubbed the back of her neck. "So you think it could be a rogue agent. Okay, so how do we find out who?"

"I'll get to work," Five said, then disappeared into thin air.

Diego got up from the couch. "Alright. Good talk."

"Wait, guys," Luther started, but Diego walked out of the room.

Klaus leaned toward me. "Hey, you think I could pick your brain on some things? I really think I could use your help."

I remembered that he was the one who was able to communicate with the dead. Still, I was worried to know exactly what he meant by this. 

"Uh, sure. I guess," I replied. 

He clapped his hands together. "Oh, good. Come."

Pulling his cigarette pack out of his pocket, Klaus stood from his couch and started toward the door. I looked at Vanya, who just shrugged, and we both got up to follow him. 

"Hey, Klaus, maybe we could do this in the courtyard?" she suggested. "You know how Dad would feel about smoking in this house."

He spun, placing a smoke in his mouth, and bowed deeply. "You are such a killjoy sometimes, but if we must."

As we climbed the stairs, I could hear Luther call from the drawing room, "We still had a meeting planned!"

-

_The moment she entered the apartment, I knew I was in trouble. My room was a mess from my search for my diary. My telepathy was getting stronger, and I had gotten into the habit of keeping track of my growth. Once I heard the sound of her keys in the door, I stowed the diary under my mattress and bolted around the room, trying to put everything away._

_My efforts were stalled by her clearing her throat in my doorway. I set the doll I was holding on my dresser and turned to face her, bracing myself. Mother's most important rule was that our home be spotless, and to keep her happy, I usually went above and beyond to assure I cleaned everything. By the time I was four, I could properly use a mop and vacuum cleaner. Now, at age eight, using harsh chemicals and scrubbing out the bathroom fixtures were added to my list of chores. I was the sole person in charge of keeping the apartment looking presentable, despite the fact that no one ever visited us._

_"You thought I wouldn't catch you?" she said, her voice menacing. There was a darkness in her eyes that made me want to shrink away, but that would only serve to make her angrier. I stood quietly, my arms by my side, and looked directly at her. All I had to do was accept my fate. No arguments, no hesitation._

_"Little Piggy, get the belt."_

-

The rooftop courtyard of the Umbrella Academy was not nearly as intimidating as the rest of the manor. It was plainly laid out in cobblestone with a few big trees. It felt more like a park than the top of a building. My eyes moved to a black statue by the arch we had just come through. On the base was a plaque which read, "BEN HARGREEVES - May the darkness within you find peace in the light." I remembered reading about Ben, both online and in Vanya's book. He had been wrapped up in trying to make Reginald proud of him to no end. Always trying to shine. In that way, I commiserated with him. I, too, knew what it was like to work so hard for approval that never came. 

I heard a lighter click behind me as Klaus lit his cigarette. He and Vanya walked up on either side of me as I continued to stare at the statue of their brother. 

"Sometimes I think he had it the hardest out of all of us," Vanya said quietly. "And when he realized there was no pleasing Dad...you know, that there would be no positive outcome."

Sighing, I nodded, then looked at Klaus. "Do you have another?"

He surveyed me for a moment, as if trying to decide if I was worthy. Then he assented and pulled an extra out for me. I could feel Vanya disapproval as he lit it for me. 

"I'm doing my best," I told her after a drag. "You act like it's easy."

"I didn't say anything," she responded. 

I watched as she walked away from the statue to a circle of benches. Fighting the urge to follow her, I fully turned to Klaus.

"So what did you want to do?" I asked. 

He suddenly looked very serious and sad. "Do you only see a person's surface thoughts, or can you get into their unconscious mind?"

"Um...I don't know. I've never tried that," I admitted. "Why do you ask?"

Klaus glanced at Vanya then back at me. He took my arm and led me away from her. "Everyone thinks I'm crazy, but I can see Ben."

We stopped walking and faced each other. "I'm confused. Isn't that your whole thing?"

"Well, yeah. But I've been having some troubles with that because I'm..." He waved a hand by his head as if trying to come up with the right words. "In a constant altered state of mind. I know we just met, but I was hoping you could assist me."

"You want to know if it's really him, or if you're projecting your own unconscious remembrance of him."

He grabbed my by the shoulders, making me flinch. "Exactly! I just thought, maybe, if you could get in there, you could tell me."

The cigarette I'd barely smoked fell out of my hand. I felt suffocated as his grasp remained on my shoulders. In the back of my mind, I could hear my mother's voice calling me Little Piggy. My body refused to move as I stood there, staring at him. My old defense mechanism. His lips were still moving, but I couldn't make out a word through the buzzing that was growing in my brain. " _Little Piggy, Little Piggy_ " on a loop, echoing into a crescendo.

Suddenly, I was a child again. Powerless to the whims of the woman who raised me. There was nothing I could do or say that would be perceived as anything but wrong. Though I tried, I could not live up to the impossibly high standards she had placed upon me at such a young age. There was an urge beginning to surface from deep within me to clean whatever I could get my hands on. My apartment, which I had left in its ransacked state. If I could get it pristine again, maybe she would love me. 

Klaus's hands were removed from my arms as I heard a muffled, "Stop! Don't touch her!"

Slowly, my thoughts returned to the present. Vanya was pushing him away from me. I took a step back, finally feeling like I could breathe again. My head sank into my hands, and I crouched down on the cobblestone, apologizing profusely.

"What did I do?" Klaus asked.

Shaking, I said, "Nothing. It's nothing."

"You two can do whatever you needed to do later," Vanya told him. "She's clearly not in a state of mind for it right now."

I stood up straight again, letting out a steady breath. "No. No, I can do this. Just...give me some space this time."

Vanya came over to me and hesitantly touched my hand. "Are you sure?"

I nodded, looking at Klaus. He seemed frightened, but stood still as I focused, putting everything I had just felt into making this connection. I used my anger and fear to push into his mind, past his initials thoughts. And when I was about to give up, a new person's emotions entered the courtyard. They were tense, yet curious, radiating from somewhere to my left. From my peripheral vision, a figure flickered in and out of view. I pivoted in that direction, gathering Klaus's thoughts under the tree there. 

"Do you see him over there?" I asked Klaus as the figure materialized, transparent, but present. 

A young man, wearing a hoodie, glanced between Klaus and me. "Can you see me? Can she see me?"

From behind us, Vanya said, in a mesmerized voice, "I think we all can."


	6. A Conversation

I blinked and turned to Vanya, who was staring in disbelief at her deceased brother. If she was able to see him, what did that mean? She walked past Klaus and me and approached Ben. I focused as hard as I could to keep him among us.

"Ben?" she started. 

"Hey, Vanya," he replied with a sad sort of smile. "Long time no see, huh?"

"You're..." She looked over her shoulder at me. "How are you doing this?"

I couldn't give her an answer, because I truly didn't know. This was completely new to me. But I knew it couldn't last long, as my energy was depleting rapidly. My little flashback from earlier had worn me out, and this was adding to it. 

"I told you I wasn't lying," Klaus told her. 

"To be fair, I never said I didn't believe you," she replied. 

Ben's image started flickering again, so I said, "You might want to hurry. I don't know if I can hold him here much longer."

Vanya stammered then said, "You've really been here this whole time. Every family meeting."

"Yep. And trust me. It is every bit as boring as it sounds," Ben replied. "Although I do have to say, I'm very proud of the way everyone took down those bad guys while _this one_ took a bath."

He pointed to Klaus, who started beaming. "You are the most frustrating..."

Ben flickered out, and I started gasping. I put my hands on my knees, adjusting to the way the real world felt. A breeze blew past me, cooling my face as I caught my breath. I looked up at Klaus and Vanya. 

"I'm sorry," I said. "I couldn't do it anymore."

"No, it's fine," Vanya said, squatting in front of me. "Are you okay?"

I straightened up, nodding, but stumbled as I tried to take a step. She softly rested a hand on the small of my back.

"Here, let's get you sitting down."

Vanya led me to the benches, calling over her shoulder to Klaus, "Can you go get a cold cloth for her head?"

As we sat, I told her, "I really am fine. I just need to go home and get some rest."

She shifted uncomfortably. I scanned her face, trying to not feel her emotions. All the same, I knew exactly what she was about to say. I held up my hands defensively.

"Vanya, I can't. We barely know each other, and it would be an imposition."

She sighed. "I was just going to offer. I don't feel okay with you sleeping there by yourself. You're one of us now, and we protect each other. I just thought that, if you stayed here, at least we could all keep an eye on you."

I laughed softly."Your family doesn't seem to have as open a mind as you."

Vanya smirked. "Klaus likes you... But I get it. The rest of them just need time. I mean, what happened with...you know who... It's still fresh. They just don't want to see me get hurt again."

I nodded, leaning back on the bench. "How do you do it? I'm still holding grudges from thirteen years ago, and you're just...trusting someone new a week after you were betrayed."

"I guess I'm still a little naive," she admitted. "In spite of everything, I still believe people are really good at heart."

Against everything I was feeling, I smiled. "Did you just quote Anne Frank?"

"It's possible," she whispered.

My heart began to flutter. Only a straight girl could make me fall this hard this fast. I pushed my hair out of my face, letting it hang off the back of the bench. In a low voice, I simply said, "Christ," as I stared up at the late afternoon sky. 

"Can I ask you something kind of personal?" she asked.

I tilted my head toward her. "Go for it."

Vanya looked down at her hands. Her fingers wove together as she searched for what to say. Finally, "When we met, you told me that your mom was abusive. Did she... Did she hit you?"

Her brown eyes flickered up to meet mine. I paused, biting my lip and knowing why she asked. The way I had frozen when Klaus touched me. My reaction had been unexpected, even to me. Finally, I nodded and sat up.

"Yeah. It was pretty much a weekly occurence," I told her. "If things weren't clean enough or if she thought I was talking back to her. Basically anything to remind me I didn't belong in her house. It got worse when I accidentally came out. Nothing I did was right, so it figures she wouldn't be okay with having a daughter who was unplanned and a lesbian."

"When did that happen?" she asked.

"When I was twelve."

Vanya looked astonished. "Twelve?"

I nodded, laughing again. "I was in love with Lucy Hayes. She was in my grade, and she was...ah, just so cool. At first, I thought I just really wanted to be her friend. But then I realized I wanted to kiss her, the way other girls would talk about wanting to kiss boys. I told my mother about it when I thought she was in a good mood."

"But she wasn't."

I leaned my head to the side, evaluating this. "Well, she was until I said that. At the time, I didn't even recognize it as coming out. I thought I was just confiding in her. The way a daughter should be able to."

Vanya grimaced, picking at a thread on the hem of her shirt. We sat in silence for a little bit. I still wasn't used to opening up to someone like this. It was an oddly liberating thing, to be able to talk about what had happened to me and just have someone listen. Something about her felt like coming home, and all I wanted to do was hold onto that feeling. Even though I knew we would only be friends. 

"If you don't mind my asking," she started, "why don't you flinch like that when I touch you?"

Her eyes were serious. I felt the need to think about it for a moment. What I wanted to tell her was that it was because I harbored a crush on her that had appeared the moment I dreamt about her. But I knew that wasn't entirely true. 

"I guess it's because you're softer," I finally answered. "More hesitant. When Klaus grabbed me, it was abrupt and scared me."

She nodded slowly. "Yeah, he can be a little intense sometimes."

The understatement of the century. I had never met someone quite like him before. He was so outspoken and colorful. And despite the fact that he had caused a major flashback, I didn't mind him. Simply, Klaus seemed like the type who was unregrettably himself, and I admired that. 

"What are the odds that he forgot to get the cloth you told him to get?" I asked. 

She pretended to think about it before saying, "Absolutely one-handed percent. No question about it."

I rested my head against the back of the bench again. The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky a brilliant shade of orange. The sounds of traffic filled the air around us as people were driving home from work. For just a brief moment in time, nothing else mattered. We were just two people on a park bench in the middle of April. No past traumas and no superhuman abilities. I wondered if normal people ever stopped for a moment to think about how lucky they were.

"We're so small," I mused, crossing my ankle over my thigh. 

"Come again?"

"Think about it," I said, closing my eyes. "There are seven billion people on this giant blue marble. We are just a fraction of a percentage. Yet, somehow, we have these differences that could quite literally change the world. What is the likelihood that out of every person on this planet, I come across six other people who share my experiences? One in a billion."

"I don't know. I'd take those odds."

I opened my eyes and looked at her, grinning. "You would?"

She nodded solemnly. "Every time."

The desire to kiss her grew exponentially. How could Vanya possibly say something like that and _not_ expect me to? She was so damn beautiful, smart, and genuinely caring. Which was exactly why I had to fight this urge. If I wanted to keep this friendship, the last thing I needed to do was act on a stupid impulse. 

"It's getting dark," she stated. "If you really think you want to go home..."

I sighed. "Actually, if the offer still stands, I think I'll stay the night. I wouldn't be able to sleep in that mess anyway."

Vanya looked relieved. "Good. That makes me feel better."


	7. A Friend

There was always something so peaceful about the bookstore first thing in the morning. The sound of coffee brewing and the lights flickering on overhead made it into somewhat of a liminal space. Nothing else was going on outside of my little sanctuary. No one else's emotions were clogging the airwaves which now played host to only the soft sounds of Hozier. The only thing I could think was that this was the way humans were meant to live.

I swayed my hips to the beat as I poured and doctored a cup of coffee. The music filled me with delight and yearning, a sweet kind of ecstasy, setting me free. It was despite of - and possibly because of - everything else going on that I could take pleasure in these little things. Life had been hectic, and so these few minutes before unlocking the doors to the general public were precious. I performed a sloppy version of a kick ball change before picking up my mug and making my way to the computer behind the counter.

" _Feels good, girl, it feels good_ ," I sang along, scrolling through our package tracker. " _Oh, to be alone with you._ "

"Jesus, you're a walking stereotype," Penny's voice came from the back door. 

I laughed, checking on today's shipment. She walked to the counter and threw her keys on it. 

"I'm in a good mood today," I informed her. "And not even you can ruin it."

Penny leaned against the counter and crossed her arms, looking me over. I kept forward, working on getting the week's bestsellers list that Ginger should have printed the day before. Even before I had been promoted to manager, I had gotten used to picking up after the owner. It was never ending.

"You got laid last night," Penny stated, laughing. "You totally did. Didn't you?"

I rolled my eyes. "Nope. Still celibate. And fine with that. Can you go get this out of the printer and go unlock the door?"

She sighed and pushed herself off the counter. "You're no fun."

Penny walked to the coffee bar and got herself a cup as she retrieved the list. I worked on opening the register for the day and said, "My apartment was broken into yesterday."

She halted on her way to the front door and spun to look at me. A bit of coffee splashed onto her hand, and she gasped at the sudden heat, setting it down. "Why didn't you tell me? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I stayed at Vanya's place last night," I said. "She's going there after her morning lesson to feed Cricket for me."

Penny rushed over, laying splayed hands on the counter. "You stayed with her? And didn't sleep with her? Tell me everything now!"

It was unsurprising to me that Penny cared more about dirty details than the fact that a crime had been committed in my home. Either way, I would have liked just a bit of sympathy over the situation. In lieu of an answer, I simply pointed to the door, reminding her that we did have to open shop today. She let out a little disappointed "tsk" before rolling her eyes. Sometimes it was hard being the boring friend.

Feeling petty as I got up to rearrange the bestsellers, I said, "Cricket and I are fine, by the way. So thanks for asking."

Penny looked back at me as she turned the lock on the door, pushing out her bottom lip. I sighed and cocked an eyebrow, pressing my hands onto the display table. She sauntered over and mirrored my stance, tossing her dark brown hair over her shoulder. 

"Okay. Were you home?" she asked, getting serious.

"No."

"Was anything taken?"

I bit my lip, feeling embarrassed. "Just my journal."

"Hmm," she replied and picked up her coffee. My gaze followed her as she walked to the checkout counter again. "So let's think then. Why would someone want to take your journal?"

My mouth opened to reply, but I hesitated. Even if I told her the truth, she wouldn't believe me. Some things were better kept hidden. I threw my hands up in frustration. "I don't know, P. Maybe someone knew I was hanging out with the Hargreeves and thought I had juicy secrets! Maybe I'm being stalked. I mean, they had to have known that I was out of the house; I wasn't gone very long."

She turned to me again. Finally, there was some concern on her face. I let out a breath, shaking my head. "All I know is that I can't stay there until all of this blows over. I mean, I could go to the cops..."

"All they're going to be able to do is charge the guy with a B and E," she told me. "And I'm not trying to discredit what you went through, but if a diary was all they took, they aren't going to get much time."

I straightened a pile of books on the table. "You're right."

Penny crossed the floor to me and put a hand on the back of my head. I looked over to meet her blue eyes, and she gave me a sad sort of smile.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I think you'll just have to tell your landlord what happened and have him install new locks. That's all you can really do at this point." 

She pressed a kiss onto the side of my head. The bell on the front door dinged. We both reacted, seeing Vanya coming in, carrying her usual messenger bag as well as a backpack from my apartment. Penny glanced from Vanya to me, then removed her hand.

"Hey, I was on my way back from feeding the cat," Vanya stated. "I brought you a change of clothes. In case you didn't want to wear yesterday's."

She held the bag out from where she stood. I walked over to her and took it, then threw a glance to Penny. "Hey, I'm gonna step outside for a minute."

I grabbed my coffee, throwing the bag under the counter while I was there. Vanya and I went out to the sidewalk, and I leaned against the building.

"So, he's not going to do it, is he?" I said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

Vanya shook her head, eyes on the ground. "It's too much of a risk. Even with forty-odd years of experience. Anything could go wrong."

I caught my bottom lip between my teeth. Though I was desperate for answers, it made sense. There was no way to ask them to put a family member in danger that didn't come across as selfish. And she was right. After listening to Five's story last night, how he had jumped through time and gotten stuck, it was obvious that we couldn't ask him to do that again. Even if that meant finding out who was after me. The information would just have to come to us organically.

Reaching out, I put a finger under her chin, gently lifting her head to meet her eyes. Vanya had the same, constant expression of worry that I already knew too well. I gave her a reassuring smile. "We'll figure it out. Maybe not today or tomorrow. But eventually."

"It's just..." She took my hand in both of hers. "It's been nonstop for almost three weeks now. My dad dies, Five comes back after sixteen years, there's an apocalypse, _I_ have powers...and now you. I'm exhausted, and I know everyone else is too."

I extracted my hand from hers. A great feeling of shame rained down on me. It had been, in fact, extremely self-serving of me to insert myself into their lives. Their birthday cake of fiasco didn't need another tier to it. If I had survived two years in the streets, I could survive this. The odds were stacked up that the break-in had been just some lunatic anyway.

"You're right," I said. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought you into this. I shouldn't have approached you in the bar the other night. It could have stopped this whole thing from happening."

Vanya's brow furrowed. "What? No, that's not what I'm saying at all. I like you a lot; I want us to be friends. In fact, I'm the one who took you to my dad's house and put my family into this. Olivia, we were meant to meet."

"Are you about to break into a musical number about destiny?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood. The combination of emotions here was becoming a burden. I pulled my phone out of my pocket. "Because, if so, I'll have to record it."

She finally cracked a smile. There was something special about the way her eyes lit up when she did. Something that made my heart soar. I wondered if she somehow knew what she did to me.

"Really, are you okay?" she asked. "I know how much it would help if Five could go back and get the Commission's files. He just can't... We just got him back."

"It's okay. I understand," I assured her. "You can't chance him getting stuck again. I know how much you care about your siblings."

Vanya glanced down at her watch. "I've got to get going. I have another lesson to get ready for. I'll see you at the Academy, right?"

I played with the zipper on my jacket. "I think I'm going to go home and clean up."

She nodded. "I had a feeling you would say that. But you have my number now. Use it, okay?"

I smirked. "Right after I call the cops."

-

_The moment I got to my apartment door, I could feel the mess of emotions that were being contained by it. The most prominent was anticipation, some glee, and then there was an underlying tone of boredom. I contemplated turning around and going to the nearest bar. It had been a long day at work, and I was in no mood to socialize. But it would just let Jess down if I didn't go through with her little plan. With a sigh, I unlocked the door._

_"Surprise!" everyone yelled as I walked in._

_Jess came over to me with a glass of champagne. She handed it to me, kissing me, as I closed the door behind me._

_"Happy birthday, babe," she said._

_I tried to sound enthusiastic as I replied, "Oh, wow. You shouldn't have."_

_She knew for a fact that I had never been surprised a day in my life. I hated everything about what was happening. All I wanted to do was take a bath and go to bed. Unlike all of her white collar friends, most of whom I didn't know, I had work in the morning. Partying wasn't high on my list of "ideas of a good time."_

_Jess looked disappointed and flashed her award-winning smile at our guests. She took me by the arm and towed me into our bedroom. The second we were in, I pulled away and shut the door._

_"What are you doing?" I whispered. "I have to go back into the store at eight in the morning."_

_She pouted, running a hand through her short hair. "I thought you'd be excited."_

_I crossed my arms. "Baby, I don't even know most of these people. Just admit that you wanted to have a party. You could have at least told me so I'd be prepared. You don't know how it feels to get smacked in the face by thirty people's feelings the second you turn a corner."_

_With a scoff, Jess replied, "Why are you turning yourself into a victim? I tried to do something nice, to celebrate my girl's quarter-century on this earth...because I love you so much. Fine, I'll just send everyone home."_

_She put her hand on the doorknob, but I pulled her back. "Just stop for a second. I'm tired, and I really don't want to do this right now." I let out a slow breath, gathering my thoughts. "Let's just get through this. And I will try to have fun. But I just have one question."_

_"What?" she replied with a whine._

_"Is there cake?"_

-

Slow days at the store seemed to go faster than the busy ones. Penny and I were just able to chat and goof off with no worries. Until it was time to go home, I had nearly forgotten about the scene to which I would have to return. The anxiety reached its peak as I stood in the hallway, my hand shaking as I picked the correct key from the ring. Slowly, the lock opened, and I pushed the door inward. 

The first thought that came to mind was that I was hallucinating, or that nothing had happened in the first place. Every single thing was in order. All the furniture was upright, and everything was picked up from the floor. In fact, it was tidier than even my standards. Blankets were folded neatly on the sofa; the coffee table books were perfectly stacked. Little things that I couldn't bother with. 

I dropped my backpack by the door, setting my keys on the entry table. My eyes were drawn to the desk, where a black leather-bound book laid with a piece of paper on top. I walked to it, picking up the note.

_I wasn't kidding when I said I figured you'd want to come home. I know it can't replace the old one, but maybe you can start writing new memories. --V_

Running my fingers over the soft cover, I smiled and took out my phone to call her. After a few rings, she picked up. 

"How did you do it?" I asked, carrying the journal to the sofa.

"I don't know what you could possibly be talking about."

I laughed. "How did you have time between your lessons?"

She paused for a moment, then sheepishly said, "I may have lied about having a lesson this morning. I was so scared you were going to figure it out. Are you mad?"

My fingertips traced the gilded edges of the book. For the first time in my life, I had been genuinely surprised. It was such a warm, overwhelming feeling that tears began to form in my eyes. I cleared my throat, attempting to gather myself. 

"How could I be mad about this? It's the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me."

"Good," she replied. "Now get some rest. Luther is serious about training you up to his standards."

I could only imagine. After what had happened in the courtyard the day before, I had to admit that I was curious to see what else I could do. We had gone looking for Klaus and find him in the kitchen, telling everyone about how I had physically manifested Ben. They inundated me with questions which had no answers. At least, not yet. 

Apparently, the last time they had seen him was the day after the world was supposed to end. There had been some knock-down, drag-out fight at the house, between all of them and some agents tasked with killing Five. It had all reach a head when Klaus somehow channeled Ben, using Ben's power to rip everyone apart. It really was like Vanya had said today outside the bookstore, a lot in three weeks.

Now, with the knowledge that I could do the same thing, under less extreme circumstances, the Hargreeves were ready to see my full potential. And as exhausting as just a few minutes had been, I was ready to put the work in.


	8. A Visitor

The Hargreeves manor had been nice enough for the one night. But even with the knowledge my apartment had just been broken into, I was happy to be in my bed. A glass of red wine sat on the nightstand, and the new journal was open in my lap. There was something so relaxing about a fresh diary. I longed for the old one, as well as answers to who took it, but for now this would have to do. 

I began writing, detailing as well as I could the event with Klaus in the courtyard. How it made me wonder if using my past traumas was the key to unlocking this new...phenomenon. I listed out a few questions to keep in mind when I went to the Academy the next day. 

_Can I manifest anything?_

_Where has this been hiding?_

_How did I do that?_

I underlined the last one twice. It was the most obvious inquiry, but it was the one I was most curious about. I had gone so far past simple mind-reading, and into a brand new territory. We really did have a lot of work to do.

Suddenly, a quiet shuffling floated from the living room. Panic filled me as I grabbed my pocketknife from under my pillow and the cell phone from the nightstand, readying it to call the police. After a few moments, there was the sound of glasses clinking in the kitchen cupboards. I flicked the knife open and carefully got out of bed, tiptoing toward the sound. 

When I reached the kitchen, all I could see was the figure of a small person, barely lit by the street lamps outside. With my heart racing, I reached for the light switch on the wall and flipped it on. There, by the counter, poised in midpour of my whisky, was...

"Five!" I exclaimed.

He turned casually to look at me, setting down the liquor bottle. I put a hand to my chest, slumping against the wall.

"Christ. You scared the shit out of me. What are you doing here?"

"Vanya sent me," he said, recapping the bottle and sliding it back into the cabinet. 

Five walked to my bookshelf and began to peruse the titles. I closed the knife and threw it onto the counter. It was a relief that he was the intruder, though he was an intruder nonetheless. 

"Okay. Why did Vanya send you?" I pressed. He was giving me a headache already. 

He pulled _The Call of Cthulu_ down, then went to the couch, setting his glass of whisky on the end table. I marched to him and pulled it out of his hands as he sat. 

"Are you going to put pants on at any point?" he asked. 

I glanced down at my t-shirt and underwear combo. "No! This is my apartment!"

"Well, that's your prerogative, then. Anyhow, if I'm going to be up all night playing lookout, I'll need something to keep me busy. So if you don't mind." 

Five held his hand out for the book again. I raised it above my head, glaring at him. He sighed, then disappeared. I felt it being removed from my hand and spun around in time to see him pop away from the top of the coffee table. Balling my fists, I pivoted back, where he was sitting again, opening the book. I sat on the coffee table and put my hand on the page.

"What. Are. You. Doing. Here?" I demanded.

He rolled his eyes, as if he were the one being encroached upon. "Isn't it obvious? Vanya felt like you weren't safe on your own. And we thought I was the only one who could get in without you noticing. We didn't count on you having ears like a fox."

My face went hot as I blushed. "Vanya was worried about me?"

"Yeah..." He sipped the whisky, squinting at me. "Can't see why. You're about as smart as a brick."

Reflexively, I swung a fist at him. As soon as it connected, I put both hands over my mouth. I had never hit someone in my life, but for some reason, it was what my instincts told me to do. Blood was coming out of a split in his lip. Five put his hand to his jaw, moving it back and forth to ensure that it wasn't broken. 

"Oh, shit, I am so sorry," I said from behind my hands. 

"That was impressive," he stated. "You have more power behind you than I would have expected."

I stared wide-eyed at him for a full minute. Why had I done that? What a psychotic reaction to something that, ultimately, was not incorrect. He touched a finger to his lip and looked at the blood that came off of it.

"I'll go get something for that," I finally said.

I got up and went to the bathroom to get a washcloth. The mirror over the sink showed a pale version of my reflection as I ran cold water over the cloth. What had come over me? Was I really so stressed that I was taking my frustrations out with violence? It reminded me too much of my mother, and that scared me even more than everything else that was going on. Even the image in the mirror was beginning to look like her, more and more each day. 

Doing my best to shake this realization, I turned off the tap and wrung out the washcloth. I returned to the living room and handed it to Five, sitting across from him again. He pressed it to his lip, continuing on with reading. The level of calm here was bewildering. Then I remembered how much he had actually been through. Watching him, I crossed my ankles and hoped he would say something. When that didn't happen, I spoke up.

"So do you have any theories?"

Five exhaled loudly and glowered up at me. "If I had new information for you, don't you think I would tell you?"

I stifled the desire to punch him again. He really was such a smug little bastard. 

"Judging by the way conversation has gone thus far?" I said, crossing my arms. "No, I don't think you would tell me."

He set the book to the side and leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "You want to know why I volunteered to come?"

"Please, enlighten me."

Five smirked. "I don't trust you. And after this," he said, pointing with his free hand to his lip, "I think I'm okay to not trust you."

I looked away in shame as he continued, "After what Vanya has been through lately, I plan to be extremely wary about every single person who comes into her life. Tell me, what are your intentions with my sister?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, still not meeting his eye. 

"What I mean is what are you getting out of that relationship? What do you want from her?" he demanded. "And please remember; I may not have your specific ability, but I am a trained assassin who can sniff out a lie from a mile away."

My head whipped back to face him, eyes wide. "Did you just threaten me?"

Five removed the washcloth from his face. "You're damn right, sweetheart."

I stood again, going to my bedroom to retrieve my wine. While in there, I decided to go ahead and pull on some sweatpants. If we were going to have this discussion, I needed to be fully clothed. Taking a deep breath, I went back and stood at the end of the sofa. Five looked up at me and gestured toward the coffee table, expecting me to sit again. But I shook my head. 

"No, I'm too anxious to sit," I informed him. "If my life depends on what a thirteen-year-old..."

"I'm fifty-eight," he interrupted, but I elected to ignore this. 

"...thinks of me, then I'm going to stand over here. But I need you to really listen. Because I'm only saying it once. And if you repeat it, I will rip out your vocal chords."

He stared at me for a second. "Doubtful, but I'm listening."

I took a long drink of wine, trying to give myself the courage. Setting the glass down, I said, "I'm not one to believe in that whole 'love at first sight' cliché. I mean, it took months of dating my ex before I felt confident enough in my feelings enough to say it. Having this whole heightened version of empathy has really screwed with my ability to have faith in others. But, Christ, what I feel for Vanya surpasses anything I've ever experienced. 

"And before you say anything, I know that I've only known her for a week. But she has made me feel more confident and comfortable in my skin than anyone ever has."

There was a silence for a long stretch. I regretted saying it already, but it hadn't felt like I'd had much of a choice. The only hope here was that Five would understand, or at least be able to keep it a secret until I could really sort it all out. Somewhere, I knew that I wasn't exactly "in love" with Vanya. At least, not yet. 

Five smiled in a way that was somehow creepier than his general demeanor. "So, you love my sister. There's a plot twist."

I rushed over, taking a seat next to him. "Please don't tell anyone. I'm still trying to work it all out."

"Do you think I entered a thirty year relationship by keeping my emotions to myself?" he asked. 

"You..." I narrowed my eyes in confusion. "I'm sorry. What?"

He nodded. "Dolores and I were together for thirty years. The love of my life. But we only got there because I sucked it up and told her how I felt."

My mouth opened to respond, but I was still not sure what to say. In my head, I tried to do the math of the time he spent alone and when he joined the Commission. Something wasn't adding up here. I blew out a heavy breath, tilting my head to the side as I squinted at him. 

Finally, I resolved on, "Thirty years, huh? That's really something."

"The best thing you can have in this life is a partner who gets you," he stated, folding the bloodstained washcloth. 

"So just a few minutes ago, you were willing to murder me because you don't trust me," I said, trying to get it all right. "But now you're totally cool with me dating Vanya?"

Five set the cloth in the coffee table. I reached out to stop him, but retracted the hand, making a mental note to deep-clean the table.

"I asked you to tell the truth," he reminded me. "And you did."

A fair point.

"There's only one problem," he added.

I nodded, grimacing. "Yeah, she's straight."

Out of nowhere, Five started laughing wildly. I jumped at his reaction. Had he gone crazy? Was I about to be killed anyway? If so, there was nowhere to hide that he couldn't get to me. Terrified, I stared at him until the fit subsided. 

"You actually think my sister is straight?" he asked. "Oh, thank you for that. I've been needing a good laugh."

"But she just dated that..." I trailed off, realization hitting me and making me feel like an idiot. "The guy is the problem."

How could I have forgotten about that? We had talked about it the first night we met. Between the housebreaking and the new power, I had blocked out the story of the guy who had weaseled his way into her life only to betray her.

"So what do I do?" I asked. "If I can't tell her, but I can't keep it in, where do I go from here?"

Five picked the book up again, signaling that this conversation was closet to over. "You already took the first step. Admittance. So the next thing to do is go to bed and get ready for tomorrow."

I had to admit that he was right. He was abrasive and a bit of an asshole, but he really sounded like he knew what he was talking about. Knowing that there was nothing else to be said, I stood to go to bed. When I got to the door, I called, "Goodnight, Five," over my shoulder, receiving no answer.


	9. A Confrontation

Five and I got to the Academy early, just as Luther had requested. Everything was quiet in the manor as we walked downstairs to the kitchen. Klaus was fast asleep on top of the table, clutching a candlestick. Five  shook the table on his way to search for coffee, causing his brother to sit up in a panic. Klaus looked frantically around the kitchen, taking in his surroundings, before settling back on his elbows.

"You don't have to be so harsh," he snarked, eyeing Five. "I was in the middle of the most beautiful dream."

"That's all well and good, but we need you for training," Five replied, putting on a kettle.

Klaus looked confused for a moment. His gaze drifted to me, as if he had no clue who I was. He stared at me for a second, wiping the sleep from his eyes, then said, "Oh, that. Yeah, I didn't sign up for that."

I raised my hand. "Me either, now that I think about it. It feels like something I should work out on my own."

Five spooned coffee grounds into a French press as he replied, "Yeah, well, unfortunately for you, that's not how things work around here. The second you walked in that door and announced that you had powers, you were part of the group."

"I didn't announce shit," I argued. "And you told me last night that you..."

I cut myself off as Vanya entered the room. Swallowing hard, I threw a furtive glance to Five. He was too busy pouring hot water on his coffee to notice that the air had changed. It wasn't until he had put the lid in place that he looked up. I silently pleaded that he wouldn't reveal anything.

Five picked a coffee mug from the shelf and grabbed the French press, saying, "I think you two have a lot to talk about," as he walked out of the room.

My stomach went into knots immediately. What an asshole. Not only had he put me into an awkward position, he had taken the coffee with him. Pouting, I raised a hand toward the door through which he had just exited. 

"I wanted a cup of that," I said meekly as Vanya crossed the room to me. "I need it."

She giggled softly, putting a hand on the small of my back. I jumped away, from nerves more than anything else. If someone in this house knew how I felt about her, I needed to keep my distance. It was too real, and we had too much else to focus on.

"Hey, Klaus, we should probably get up there," I said, looking over to him to see that he was fast asleep again. 

Great. My one saving grace. I reached out to wake him, but Vanya stopped me. 

"Let him sleep," she instructed. "Waking him triggers his PTSD."

I was confused, and apparently visibly so, because she shook her head and added, "It's a long story. And not mine to tell."

Agreeing, I walked with her to the stairs that led up to the foyer. As we climbed them, she said, "So what was Five saying? You needed to talk to me?"

My eyes focused on her back as my brain scanned for lies. Then something came to me that wasn't a complete untruth. 

"Why didn't you give me a heads-up that he was coming to keep an eye on me?" I asked. 

Vanya peeked over her shoulder at me, seeming embarrassed. I raised my eyebrows at her, and she faced forward again, opening the door to the foyer. "I figured you might say no."

She was right, but I didn't say so. At this point, there was no arguing about what had already happened. Luther and Five were standing by the table in the front hall already, the latter holding his steaming cup of coffee.

"Where's Klaus?" Luther asked as we stood across the table from them. 

"Asleep," Vanya answered, pointing with her thumb in the direction from which we had just come.

He sighed, frustrated. "Well, we need him, so go get him."

Vanya hesitated, but started to turn back. I caught her by the arm, not taking my eyes off her brother. He was arrogant and overbearing, and I wasn't about to allow him to take complete control over my situation. Luther seemed shocked, like he wasn't expecting me to undermine his dominance and take my autonomy. 

"No," I said, resting my hands on the tabletop. "If I can manifest spirits, I want to see what else I can do. My power, my rules."

Everything around us went still. Five and Vanya glanced between us as we stared each other down. Though I usually didn't consider myself stubborn, something about him did not sit right with me. Since experiencing his feeling toward Vanya, I couldn't like him in any capacity. Only a monster would even consider locking a family member away who was already scared to begin with. Whatever leadership ability he thought he had, it wouldn't work with me. He seemed to forget that I could see through the icy exterior. I made it my mission to be as headstrong as possible when it came to Luther.

"What do you propose then?" he asked. 

It was a start. He had budged, though not much.

"For starters, you need to back off," I replied, filling with some new sense of resilience.

I should have been terrified by this huge guy who could easily power-slam me into the wall. But he was too overbearing for me to not stand up for myself. The casual toxicity of it all was driving me crazy. 

"Being Number One might be your whole personality, but it isn't going to fly with me. The only reason I'm here is because I'm curious, not because I'm a part of your little group. So if I say stop, we stop. Got it?"

Five started snickering quietly as Luther nodded. I glanced at Vanya, intuiting a mix of shock and pride. It was blatant that no one really stood up to him, and I was happy to be in the minority that did. It felt strangely good. 

"So who's up to bat first?" I asked, standing up straight again.

"My vote is Vanya," Five replied with a smug little smile. 

All of the air in the room was sucked out as my stomach flipped. The little bastard was playing at something that rubbed me the wrong way. I was regretting more and more being honest with him.

"That's funny, because I was going to say _you_ ," I snapped back.

"I wouldn't let you near my mind."

"Why's that? Hiding some sick, twisted shit?"

Five crossed his arms. "I've seen things that would make your skin crawl. You wouldn't be able to comprehend some of the things I had to do to get back to my family."

Vanya stepped forward, holding out her arms. "Guys, just stop. I'll do it."

We both looked at her. It was the last thing I wanted to do. After all she had been through lately, there was no telling what was going on in her mind. I shook my head.

"V, I can't do that," I said quietly. "You know I can't. I promised."

She shrugged. "It's for training, right? I think we can make a special exception."

I breathed out slowly, facing her. It was official; there was nothing I hated more than Vanya being right. Especially when it put me at a disadvantage. Looking into her thoughts scared me more than anything. But I at least had to try to play it cool. 

"Okay, just...think of something simple," I instructed her, receiving a nod.

Usually, my connections took a couple seconds, but with Vanya, it was instant. As soon as I switched my focus to her mind, I was inside her head. Like a radio being tuned, thoughts switched rapidly, some barely audible. A couple, however, were so loud, they made me wince. 

"I need you to concentrate on one thing," I said. "You're giving me a headache."

Vanya closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. As she stood, the thoughts began to slow down. As they passed, I could hear larger snippets. 

_...wish she would...everything...such an ass...think, think...calm down..._

Then, finally, just the image of a violin sitting on the table near us. I grabbed onto this one, trying to remember what I had done in the courtyard. The buzzing came and passed. My eyes flickered between her and the table, waiting for it to appear. After about a minute of nothing happening, I broke off. My head began throbbing, but now I was mad. If I had done it before, I could do it again.

"She can't do it," I heard Luther say, only making me angrier. 

I held up my middle finger in his direction, honing in on Vanya again. The same image was still in her mind, and I pushed everything I had into bringing it into the physical world. Every sound faded out as a draft blew past me. I could feel _something_ happening, yet the violin still didn't appear. Instead, her voice filled my head again. This time, it was a singular, clear thought. 

_She's pushing herself too hard. I can't let her keep this up. She'll hurt herself, and I don't want to see that._

I ended the connection, disheartened. If she didn't believe in me, what was all of this for? There was nothing for me to prove; I was happy just to be able to enter people's consciousness. In fact, less than that: I would have been happier not doing it at all. 

"You think I'm that weak, huh?" I said, taking a step back and bumping into the table.

Vanya's jaw dropped and she stammered, "I...I never... That's not what I meant. I just..."

"So you have your power completely under control, right?"

She looked like I had just slapped her. In hindsight, I was being a little harsh, and the stress I was under was no excuse. Though, in the moment, I felt completely justified, as if I was under attack by this person who was trying to help me. As if I had grandized her and suddenly become disenchanted. 

"Why are we even doing this?" I demanded. "What's the point? If someone or something is after me, I'll deal with it. I don't need to work on myself for you. I'll just move again. Not like it's been so hard for me in the past."

"They'll just find you again," Five replied. I turned to face him. "But if that's what you want, it's your prerogative."

I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms. "Oh? And what are they going to do? Kill me? You know what, scratch everything I said. Let them. I mean, I'm pushing thirty, and I'm a joke."

Vanya came up next to me and quietly said, "None of us want that, Liv."

Luther opened his mouth to speak, but she held up her hand to stop him. " _I_ don't want that. You're my friend. I just want to help you. But, like Five said, if you don't want that, we can't force you."

"I just...I just need a second," I told them, walking to the front doors. 

It wasn't until I reached the sidewalk that I realized how difficult it had been to breathe inside. The stifling pressure had gone to my head, only to be relieved by the fresh air. I crouched down against the building, head in hands. Only twenty minutes had passed since my arrival, yet it seemed like an eternity. I fumbled around in my pocket for my pack of cigarettes, just to remember I had left them at home. Another strike out.

I already felt so stupid for snapping on Vanya. After all, I had agreed to the training in the first place, despite all the recent realizations that I didn't exactly agree with it. Being around them, knowing all they had done, made me feel like I had been living an inadequate life thus far. While they had been out saving the world, I had been homeless and barely scraping by. They were legacies, and I was nothing but  the manager of a small bookstore. Even knowing all the things Vanya had written in her memoir, I was envious that they had grown up with some semblance of a family, someone who helped them grow with their powers. 

"Shit. What am I doing here?" I muttered to myself, picking my head up.

To my right, I saw Vanya coming down the stairs toward me. She stood to the side with her hands in her pockets. 

"Hey, you," she said with a little smile. "Are you okay? You know, all things considered."

She sat on the ground next to me, setting a hand on my knee. I scratched the back of my head, looking her over. 

"What are you doing out here?" I asked. "I wasn't very kind to you."

Vanya pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, and shrugged. "I guess I'm a glutton for punishment. Plus, I figured..." She moved a hand to her pocket and pulled out a cigarette and lighter. "...you might need one of these. I went down to the kitchen and stole it from Klaus."

I smirked, taking them from her. "I thought you wanted me to quit."

"It doesn't happen in a day. Anyway, I figured it would buy us some time before going back in there."

She had a point there. I lit it, and as I pulled it from my lips after the initial drag, she reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. 

"Plus, maybe now you can tell me what Five was talking about earlier? That we had a lot to talk about or something."

I stopped, partially from the remembrance, but mostly from her touch. It was little things like that which caused me to think maybe, just maybe, she liked me too. But with the Leonard thing being so fresh, it was too treacherous to try. I didn't want to be another one of her mistakes. Just because we had been thrown together by some twist of fate, didn't mean I had to take advantage of these fleeting emotions I had. It would only cheapen everything. 

"Uh...just that I was looking forward to training, I guess," I said, nodding. "Nothing special."


	10. A Memory

_Okay, focus. You can do this._

After the previous day had been uneventful training-wise, we were back in the foyer at the Academy, in full force. It was going just about as well as the last session. We were a couple hours in with no sign of materialization. I was beginning to think the first time had been a fluke. So far, Vanya's violin and Ben's spirit had remained as only thoughts. 

"Maybe Klaus did it last time," I said after finally breaking my connection with him. "I mean, you guys said he did it before during that fight."

"Klaus didn't do shit," he replied. "I have a...spotty mind, but I would remember harnessing that kind of power."

Luther sighed. "Well, what happened last time? Go over everything step by step."

I glanced at him, scratching my temple. "We just went up to the courtyard, he asked me to read his mind, and then Ben just kind of appeared out of nowhere."

"So there was nothing to it? No stimulus? You just...did whatever you do, and then he showed up?"

Biting my lip, I looked over at Vanya. She just shook her head, scuffing the floor with the toe of her Converse. We were the only two who truly knew what Klaus's sudden touch had done to me that day. I took a deep breath, facing Luther again. 

"There may have been one thing," I started, but Vanya interrupted. 

"No. Absolutely not. Provoking too strong of an emotion can make you go overboard. Believe me."

I held a hand up to her. "I'm not suggesting we reenact it. Besides, if I know it's coming, it won't elicit as strong of a reaction from me. Remember?"

"What are you two talking about?" Five asked. "Whatever happened, maybe we can use it to our advantage here."

Ignoring him, I said, "Where's Allison? With her condition right now, maybe it could work on her. She's got to have the strongest mind right now."

Vanya had told me the day before about what really happened with Allison. While we were outside, killing time before Luther put me back to work, she explained how much she related to the current situation. Finding her new powers had been scary for her, and she had been so brainwashed by Leonard that she didn't want to listen to her sister. It turned out that I had been right; she hadn't completely mastered the telepathy, but it was comforting to know that we were currently in the same boat.

Luther shook his head. "She had to go home, see her daughter. There's a lot going on apparently."

"Okay, what about Diego? I'm sure he's got some stuff I could use."

"No, he's at work," Klaus stated. "So you just have the four _beautiful_ minds that you see before you."

"Three," Five corrected. "Still not letting you in here."

I faked a sigh. "Oh, rats! I thought you were the key to everything!"

"You would love that, wouldn't you?"

" _Silencio_ , old man!" I yelled back, leaning toward him from across the table. "I'm just about sick of you!"

Luther cleared his throat. "Whenever the two of you are done."

We both looked at him. As much as I didn't like him, he was correct. I needed to figure this thing out. With steam still pouring from my ears, I spun to face Vanya, focusing even harder than I had so far. Again, I easily tapped her brainwaves and found the image of the violin that I had already seen so many times before. It floated in a faded image, superimposed over her face, the way I had always seen mental pictures. Using all the energy I could muster, I worked on solidifying it, making it real. 

With an air of astonishment and elation, Vanya's eyes traveled to the table behind me. While trying to keep my concentration on her thoughts, I peeked behind me. Sure enough, the maple violin was lying there. She crossed the floor and reached out to touch it. Her fingers stroked the strings, which rang out each note. She let out a little laugh, looking at the others and finally at me. 

"It's real," she announced, picking it up gingerly. "Olivia, you did it!"

It began to flicker in and out of her grasp as I felt my strength fading. I pushed myself further to keep it manifested. For just a moment longer it stayed, until the weakness took over. My legs collapsed underneath me, causing me to fall to the floor. 

-

_"Can I ask you something?"_

_I look up from my phone. Jess looked really serious, which made me immediately nervous. Nodding, I took a sip from my whisky. We hadn't had many serious talks, mainly the one where I was supposed to tell her that I could casually read any person's mind and any given moment. So the fact that here, in this bar, she had an important question, caused me to be extremely anxious._

_"Well, I knew we've only been dating for..." she started._

_"Two months," I reminded her._

_Jess laughed softly. She ran her finger down the side of her glass, leaving a mark in the condensation. "Right. Two months. But I wanted to know what you would think...about moving in with me?"_

_I bit the inside of my lip, rubbing my neck. "Are you serious?"_

_"It was a thought. I mean, you stay at my place most nights anyway. And I don't really like the thought of you staying in your neighborhood; it isn't safe. I just..." She sighed. "I would feel better if we lived together. Plus, I'm pretty sure you know how I feel about you."_

_I began beaming. We hadn't really said the "L" word yet, just variations of the same thing._ I adore you. I'm crazy about you. _And my personal favorite,_ You're such a weirdo. 

_"And how's that?" I asked, reaching across the table towards her._

_Jess interlaced her fingers with mine. Her shining blue eyes pierced deep into my soul._

_"That I love you," she said._

_I stroked her thumb with mine. My heart was racing, and I couldn't believe all these things were finally falling into place._

_"I love you too," I replied. "And, yes, I will move in."_

-

I came to, feeling something cold and wet on my forehead. My arm was sore, which I could only imagine was from the fall. Opening my eyes, I realized I was on one of the sofas in the living room. Vanya was sitting over me, holding a cloth to my temple. 

"Did I die and go to heaven?" I asked. 

Vanya breathed out a short laugh. She moved the cloth away and pushed some damp stands of hair from my face. "You just passed out."

"I guess I overexerted myself," I said with a small smile. 

She mirrored the expression and nodded. "Maybe a little bit."

I began to sit up, but she quickly stopped me. 

"No, you should probably rest some more," she instructed. "You went down pretty hard."

"V, I'm okay," I assured her. "I'm not planning to go run a marathon."

Vanya hesitated for a moment, then sighed. I carefully got upright and leaned against the back of the couch. Rolling up my left sleeve, I saw a light purple bruise covering the back of my arm from elbow to shoulder. I sucked a breath through my teeth, gently prodding it. As I pressed it, it faded white then back to purple. 

"Shit, you weren't kidding," I said. 

"Stop that!" She pushed my hand away just for me to go right back to it. "You're such a child! Quit!"

I giggled. "What? It's a natural reaction. Push it."

"Ugh, no! What is wrong with you?"

"Oh, come on. Just one little-"

Midway through my sentence, my phone began to ring. I pulled it from my pocket, and though it was a number I didn't recognize, I answered. A slightly familiar voice said, "Liv, we need to talk."

"Who..." I started to reply, but then it hit me. "...Jess?"

Vanya's eyes went wide, and she gestured toward the door, as if to ask if she should leave. I shook my head, then put the call on speaker, placing a finger to my lips. If my ex was calling, for whatever reason, I wanted a witness. 

"Where are you right now?" she asked. "We need to talk in person."

"Wh- I live-"

She interrupted, "I know where you live now. Give me an address."

Panic set in me. How did she know where I was? I hadn't told anyone where I was going and liked it that way. My eyes got misty as I attempted to stave off the building emotion. Vanya reached over and put her hand on my free one. There was no way in hell I was going to tell Jess that I was in the Umbrella Academy, but I also knew that I couldn't meet her alone. And she sounded insistent. One way or another, she would find me. I had to get this out of the way.

"Um, there's a coffee shop," I stammered out, "in Bricktown. I can meet you there in fifteen minutes."


	11. A Confession

Vanya insisted on accompanying me to the coffee shop. She agreed to keep a safe distance, but assured me she would jump in at the first sign of trouble. I was grateful to know that I didn't have to do this by myself. My brain was riddled with anxiety, though being with her slightly eased that feeling. As we rounded the corner, and the café came into view, I froze. Vanya stopped walking too and touched my hand.

"It's going to be okay," she assured me. "I'll be right there, listening."

I nodded, and she gave me a small smile before walking ahead of me. Taking a deep breath, I waited a few seconds to give some space between our arrivals. My legs felt leaden as I took slow steps to the door. Vanya was at the counter ordering, but I tried to not look at her as I scanned the room. Jess already had a drink and was sitting at a back table with her arms crossed on top of it. I decided I was too nervous for coffee and crossed the floor to her. With no greetings, she stood and wrapped her arms around me in an embrace. 

"I'm so happy to see you," she stated as I hesitantly hugged her back. 

The strangest part about her saying this was how much I could feel that she meant it. This was somehow more ominous than her knowing where I lived. We broke apart, and from the corner of my eye, I could see Vanya taking a table two down from ours.

As we sat, I said, "So what the hell are you doing here?"

Jess laughed softly. My heart skipped a beat as I thought about how in love with her I had once been. Part of me still was. Her blue eyes gazed into mine in that old familiar way, and it almost felt like home again. She pushed a hand through her light brown hair, still as perfectly coiffed as ever.

"I know I'm the last person you expected to see here," she admitted. "Especially after what I did. I'm still upset with myself about how things went down."

"You mean how you cheated on me," I corrected her, pulling at one of the strings on my hoodie.

She sighed, beginning to play with the sleeve on her coffee cup. "I promise you that I can explain everything."

I laughed out in disbelief. "I can't wait to hear this."

A pained expression crossed her face. She bit her lip, staring intently at the table that separated us. I crossed my arms, leaning back in my chair. If all she wanted to do was excuse her infidelity a year later, she could have done that over the phone. Or, better yet, not at all.

"It's complicated, okay?" she said, peering up from under her eyelashes. "I was trying to protect you."

I ran my tongue between my bottom lip and teeth, rolling my eyes. We were less than five minutes into the conversation, and I was already over it.

"Okay, you don't have to believe me. I wouldn't expect you to." She glanced around, then leaned closer, lowering her voice. "You're in danger."

My chest tightened abruptly. "How the fuck would you know that?"

She sighed. "I told you. It's complicated."

My eyes started to water for the second time that day. I balled my hands into fists under my armpits. "Are you a Commission agent?"

Jess hesitated, dropping her head. I stood up with such force that my chair toppled over. The entire shop went silent, and I knew everyone's eyes were on me, including Vanya's. Her concern drifted toward me as I felt the anger bubbling deep inside. I held my arms straight at my sides, physically forcing myself to not take a swing at her.

"For how long?" I demanded. "The whole time we were together?"

Jess finally looked up at me and in a calm voice said, "Liv, I need you to compose yourself. I'm here because I care about you. I never stopped caring about you. It's why they took me off your case; I got too close."

The hot tears that had built betrayed me, streaming down my cheeks. Though my heart raced and my hands shook, I slowly picked up the chair and sat again. It made me confused and upset, but I needed to hear whatever she was about to say.

"I was given a case to protect you, at all costs," Jess informed me. "They refused to tell me why, but my job was to keep you safe and happy. I don't know why they let it go so long, but I'm glad they did. I never cheated on you, Liv. They told me to say whatever I could to get you as far away from Bloomfield...as far away from me as possible.

"It hurt me to distance myself from you. But they promised me that you would be safe, so long as you left. And that mattered more to me than the pain. I don't know what happened after the Commission fell apart, but someone is out to get you. And I swear to God that I will do whatever it takes to make sure they don't."

In that moment, something dawned on me. "That night. When you told me to read your mind..."

She nodded. "I really did want you to. So you could see it wasn't my fault. I had been out late so much because they kept holding meetings about how to deal with the situation."

"Holy shit," I muttered, rubbing my neck. 

"Baby, I don't expect you to believe me or trust me. I'm assuming that's why you brought your bodyguard."

Jess tilted her head in Vanya's direction. I pursed my lips, mortified, as I looked over to her.  She was already blushing.

"You two weren't exactly subtle," she informed us. "Besides, I knew it was only a matter of time before you got in with the Academy."

Jess went into the backpack at her feet and pulled out a manila file folder. She set it in front of me and opened it. On top was some sort of document from the Commission, which said, Protect Olivia King, with Jess's name at the top. I waved Vanya over, and she stood next to me, picking up the paper.

"This is real," she confirmed, sitting in the chair beside mine. "It looks exactly like the one Five brought back. Look,  it's notarized."

She showed it to me again, pointing to an embossed seal at the bottom. I traced a finger over it, then turned my attention back to the folder. The next page was my own biography with a photograph of me stapled to it. It listed everything - my birthday, my past living situations, even the schools I attended. I put this to the side and saw that the next sheet was Jess's credentials, proof that she was part of the organization. Wide-eyed, I glanced up to her again.

"I still don't understand," I said. "I thought the Commission was just assassins. That's what Five told us. Why would they have you protect me for six years?"

Jess shrugged. "It's a common misconception that all we do is kill. We're mainly tasked with sealing destiny, ensuring that certain things happen when and where they're supposed to. They don't give the agents much information, just a mission letter and where to go."

I let out a heavy sigh and ran my hands through my hair. There was a lot of new knowledge in front of me, yet not enough. My existence was so important that I needed a bodyguard, but not important enough to keep one. Unless they thought that whatever they were protecting me from had gone away ten months ago.

"Was I ever assigned to someone else after I left?" I asked, putting all the papers back in order. 

Jess shook her head. So maybe I was right. If they had put an agent on me for six years, they wouldn't just throw the entire mission away. It just seemed counterintuitive. Closing the folder, I handed it back to her. She slid it back into her bag, then took a drink of coffee.

"So you have no clue who is after her now," Vanya said.

"I have a couple ideas," Jess replied. "There were some agents who had issues with her. They were...not on board with the October First 43."

"Forty-three?" I echoed in disbelief, looking between them. "You mean there's thirty-five other poor superpowered bastards out there?"

Jess paused for a moment, then said, "Probably more like fifteen or sixteen at this point. A lot of them killed themselves or got into accidents because of their powers. A couple died from unrelated causes, like cancer or other diseases."

My jaw dropped. Twenty of our kind had died so far. Twenty-one counting Ben. And now a group of murderers was out looking for the rest of us. With the Commission gone, there was nothing stopping them from taking us out one by one. It seemed that I was first on their list. This sent chills down my spine. I pushed my sleeve up, feeling all the goosebumps which had formed there. 

"What did you do to your arm?" Jess asked, staring at it. 

I turned it so that I could see the bruise. It had darkened since we'd left the Academy. 

"Oh, that," I replied nonchalantly. "I passed out a couple hours ago. Why? Wanna poke it?"

Vanya let out a long breath. "This again? Honestly, how old are you?"

"To be fair," Jess chimed in. "It is _very_ fun to watch it change colors."

I made a sweeping gesture toward her, looking at Vanya. She just rolled her eyes, tapping her fingertips on the table. 

"You two really are perfect for each other," she said quietly. "I'm going to head home. I have a lesson tonight. Are you going to be okay?"

As Vanya got to her feet, I nodded, leaning my arms on the table. She placed a hand on top of my shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. Her touch gave me butterflies, which flew away the instant she pulled away.

"Call me if you need anything. And, to give you a heads up, Five will probably come over again," she warned.

"Yay. Three nights in a row with my favorite asshole," I joked.

She laughed before picking up her coffee and walking out the door. I watched her until she passed the windows that made up the front wall. Turning back to Jess, I rested my head on one hand. 

"You two are a cute couple," she informed me, sounding a little hurt. 

I furrowed my brow. "Who? Me and Vanya? No, we're just friends."

Jess tilted her head from side to side, thinking on this. As she raised her drink to her lips, she said, "You seem into her at least."

"I should think not. She's just helping me through a lot right now. Besides, she doesn't think of me like that."

"She would be crazy not to."

Jess laid a hand on the table, palm up. Hesitantly, I placed my own in it. It felt so natural, like a perfect fit. All the memories started coming back, one by one. Despite everything she had just told me, despite the fact that our relationship had begun as a mission of protection, I missed this. And hadn't she said herself that she was taken off the job for being in love with me? That made it real enough. 

Just to be sure, and against all the promises I had made to myself, I decided to tap into her mind. As we looked into each other's eyes, I began building the bridge to her mind. 

_I never imagined I'd be able to touch her again._

It wasn't much, but it was plenty for me to say, "So where are you staying?"

"This little motel right outside downtown. It was the cheapest place I could find." She grinned, though there was a hint of sadness there. "Money's been tight lately. I can't exactly put my previous work experience on a resumé."

I tilted my head in confusion. "What about the exec job?"

Jess chuckled. "Babe, that was a cover-up."

This made me feel like an idiot. Of course it wasn't real. I had to learn how to let go of everything I thought I knew about her.

"Would it be too forward to offer my apartment up?" I asked. "It's nicer than my place in Bloomfield was. Plus, I'd like to talk somewhere that isn't so public."

Some small part of my brain was screaming at me to not let her back into my life so easily. But the part of me that believed her was loud enough to drown it out. Jess, whatever role she'd had, had been such a strong pillar in my life. It wasn't as simple as just taking this information and running with it. Besides, even if it did go wrong, Five would pop in at some point to intervene, as much as it pained me to admit.

She hesitated, so I started again, "Really. I am so new to all of this. It would really be helpful to hear it from someone I know. I'd like to pick your brain."

**Author's Note:**

> Though I feel it does not need to be said, this work is in no way affiliated with the existing series. It saddens me to say that I do not own The Umbrella Academy, Netflix, or Gerard Way. 
> 
> This is based only off of the television series and will take place in a mystical alternate universe in which Luther is not a (total) prick and actually listened to Vanya, ultimately ensuring that the apocalypse does not happen. 
> 
> As with the series, there will be some strong language, as well as references to drug use and violence. There will also be instances of abuse that come along with my OC, Olivia.


End file.
